When you sue a company, an individual must still receive service of the papers. How that individual is related to the company and their role makes a difference in how and where papers can be served. It is important to understand the issues with serving a company in care of an agent, and what information you need to provide to your process server in order for service to be accurate.
Is There a Registered Agent?
A registered agent of a company is an individual who is on record as being a point of contact for legal matters, such as service of process. If there is a registered agent, there are some guidelines that the process server must follow when serving the papers. It is important to find out of the company has one or more registered agents, who they are, and where and when they can be located. Giving this information to your process server will help them execute service correctly and quickly.
Representative of the Company
In some cases, there may not be a registered agent for the company. When that happens, you may need to have the papers served to the company’s place of business and have them accepted by an employee. When this occurs, the papers must be served to a member of management or an officer of the company. It is important that your process server understands these rules and follows them. Improper service, or the papers being handed off to an unauthorized individual at the company, could lead to your case being dismissed.
If you have a lawsuit against a company coming up and need papers served in Florida, contact us today for more information. Our process servers are well versed in the rules and guidelines for serving companies, and they are willing and able to help you determine if a registered agent exists or who should be given the papers. Contact us today to get started.
