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Author: Richard Farrell, program administrator with extensive experience in training and education development at the PROServer CENTER, a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
During the past year, many legal professional are facing not only practical challenges, such as moving to a remote work environment, but also a necessary shift in mindset to adapt to what is shaping up to be a different world on the other side of the global pandemic. 
Although technology is coming to our rescue in many ways—for example, by the increased use of video conferencing—it is also true to say that technology speeds many things up, especially the expectations of clients and the demands we place on ourselves. Never has it been more important for lawyers and their practices to harness technology in the right way to achieve a law firm that remains efficient and well connected to its team and clients. Although some legal companies and law firms may see these changes as temporary, most likely we will not be going back to how things were before. Now is the time to look at the processes and applications you’ve been meaning to update or get in place for ages, and make it happen. It is also important to really look at how you believe the legal market will evolve coming out of this crisis, so that you can stay one step ahead. The starting point in any revamp of processes is to go back to basics. What do you actually need? Chances are, it is probably a lot less than you think and you don’t need to implement everything at once either. Here are five top tools to help your law firm stay efficient during this global pandemic or other difficult times: 1. Invest in Quality Hardware Your team must have quality PCs and laptops so they can complete their work quickly, and your firm must keep these computers regularly serviced and updated. Nothing is more frustrating or time consuming than a slow computer. Ask for recommendations to a good local IT specialist who can advise on what hardware you need based on the programs that you run. Don’t skimp on this—your team won’t thank you and nor will your bottom line. 2. Try a Remote Receptionist If your law firm is now working from home, the chances are you have already outsourced your incoming phone calls. If not, consider using a remote receptionist to field calls to your staff. If a staff member isn’t available to take a call, the remote receptionist will be able to take a message as you’d expect and email or text it to the appropriate staff member so that the call can be returned. For example, you may consider setting up a shared mailbox for incoming messages which can then be picked up by any team member. 3. Move to Cloud Storage From our conversations with law firm owners and paralegals over the years, getting documents and files into the cloud seems to be a sticking point for many. It is certainly a huge shift to switch from working with physical files to electronic ones, but the ease at which you’ll then be able to work on matters electronically and collaboratively far outweighs the effort in managing a switch over. Don’t forget, you don’t have to put everything in the cloud straight away, you could start with new files and then consider outsourcing the scanning of archived files later. 4. Have a System for Printing and Scanning If your legal team is now working from home, they may not have access to a printer or scanner. You may consider working around this by taking in turns to go into the office once a week to check and scan in the mail you have received and to print and send anything that you may need to access remotely. You may also consider setting up a new shared mailbox to send printing to, so that it can get picked up by whoever is in the office. 5. Invest in the Right Software for Your Firm Now is a great opportunity to look at what software you use and consider whether it is really working for you. A modern law firm needs a reliable system for managing the various components of its practice. Not only should an office be able to set and organize responsibilities, but it should be able to confirm those actions were performed—and performed well. When you’re looking for legal software, it’s important to think about what areas your practice needs the most help with. For example, if your law firm struggles with document management, look for software with exceptional document management capabilities. If billing is a weak point, software with comprehensive billing features will make the biggest impact. It’s possible for your law firm to adapt in this environment. Certainly, there will be bumps in the road as your firm adjusts, but with a bit of determination, you can find the tools and systems that work for you and your legal team.
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
Have you tried to find a process server who can serve your legal documents promptly and correctly? If you have ever needed one, most likely you know that it is not so easy to find a good and reliable process server. It becomes even more complicated if you are looking for a process server who can handle a larger volume of services on a regular basis. How about when you need a process server in another county or state? Finding a good and reliable process server can quickly become difficult and time consuming. All you need, after all, is to quickly reach out to a process server who is ready, available and willing to work with your legal team and efficiently deliver your legal documents. 
When you are trying to find a process server, most likely you are doing one of the following:
What these methods have in common is that you may or may not find a process server who covers the specific area you are looking for or you end up with a list of process servers, sometimes even several pages of names, without a reliable way to sift through the names and select the best and most reliable one. You have to spend valuable time to call or email each process server and using very little information, you must decide who to hire to serve your legal documents. Yet other times you end up finding someone who seems reliable only to discover that they are miles away from the zip code of the service address and later on they have a hard time providing status on your service. If you are lucky, another legal professional may refer you to a good process server whom they have successfully used before. That's where reviews and referrals could be extremely helpful in saving you time and valuable resources when looking for a process server.
When it comes to reviews, there are a couple of ways they can help your legal team when looking for a process server:
If a process server or a process service business have a website and a Google listing, then most likely they have or are trying to build their reviews online. Of course, there are many other search engines, general business and legal services directories where process servers may have a profile and accept reviews. Are you wondering why reviews are important? Are they trustworthy? Do you need them whether or not they are completely real? Online reviews have created a new field in marketing and communication that bridges the gap between traditional word-of-mouth and a viral form of feedback that can influence your clients’ opinion. Maybe you are already on board, collecting reviews about the level of the service you provide and responding to the valuable feedback of your clients but let’s take a step back to enumerate some reasons that make client reviews so important.
Reviews are an important indicator to consumers as to whether or not to purchase a service. Here’s why:
Some of the reasons reviews are important for your process service businesses:
Almost every paralegal you talk to has a story about their unpleasant experience of dealing with a process server. It is common to hear that it took them hours to just find one single process server. Or they sent their legal documents to a process server who seemed reliable, only to never hear back from him again. Or the story of another paralegal whose documents were served fast, but had the hardest time trying to get an affidavit from the process server. Behind many of these stories, frustration is a common thread.
Fortunately nowadays, there are better ways to find a process server for any type of legal documents, anywhere in the United States. While some legal professionals still prefer to take a risk with search engines, Craig’s List, online forums, or the increasingly insignificant yellow pages, a much better avenue for finding the process server you need is PROServer List.
In fact, when a paralegal needs a process server in Orange county, California, he or she may quickly find the top 3 process servers using PROServer List. How about a process server in the Atlanta, Georgia area? If you have ever tried to find a process server in some of the large metropolitan areas, you are familiar with the long lists of names of process servers some of the nationwide directories throw at you. As a busy paralegal, you certainly do not have time to call each and every process server from three or four pages showing 25 or more servers per page. And how do you even begin to find out whom you can trust to get the service done on time and correctly? Equipped with PROServer List, legal professionals may now skip the long line and instead focus only on the top 3 process servers included in each county in every state. Built on the foundation of more than 100,000 successfully completed service of process, PROServerLIST connects government agencies and legal professionals directly to its online directory of Pre-Screened and Certified Process Servers in order to improve the legal support services experience for both legal clients and process servers. PROServerLIST is an exclusive Directory designed to provide client rankings of process servers in order to:
The Process Server Center holds its process servers to the very highest standards of consistent quality of their services, sustainable record of services completed correctly, and continuous training and improvement. PROServerLIST is the only Directory in the United States where government agencies and legal professionals hire Certified and Pre-screened process servers.
Think of PROServer List as the Client Reports for process servers.
You can log-on to the site any time of the day to do some searches for highly recommended process servers as well as read all the unbiased and verified reviews on them provided by legal professionals who have recently used their services. In fact, PROServer List is the only place of its kind that provides unbiased reviews and other-related information that are focused on process servers in the United States. Think of PROServer List as the Consumer Reports for process servers nationwide, represented by the top three process servers in any given county. Process Servers are rated on the site based on various criteria that includes professionalism, quality, responsiveness, punctuality, and of course, price. Each process server who takes one of the 3 tops spots has successfully completed the Certification Exam and/or Training program for process servers. Paralegals find this rating system and client reviews very helpful. They definitely save time, valuable resources, eliminate delays in legal case proceedings and of course, they eliminate frustrations from improperly served legal documents. With PROServer List, legal professionals have a much better chance of weeding out unprofessional and low quality process servers as client members provide their feedback on their actual experiences with these process servers. Furthermore, in order to guard against unscrupulous legal professionals from reporting positively on themselves or negatively on others, reviews are only accepted by current client members, then verified and checked prior to being included as part of a process servers' online resume.
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
Highlights:
Stephen Webster is a certified process server and member of PROServer LIST from the state of Colorado. He runs CST Servers, conveniently located in Wiley, CO. In addition to service of process, Stephen provides private investigative services, security and consulting. CST Servers is a veteran owned company that proudly serves law firms of all sizes in the Southeast Colorado area. Stephen Webster is well versed in the laws and regulations that govern the process service industry to ensure acceptable service by the courts. Under his direction, CST Servers handles a wide variety of legal documents, including subpoenas, writs, summons and complaints and provide efficient and accurate process service every time. 
Stephen Webster's background in law enforcement and security helps him with locating hard to find individuals and ensuring that legal documents are delivered properly and on time. He is certified through the Process Servers Association of Colorado (PSACO), holds a license as a private investigator and is a member of the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC), the National Association of Professional Process Servers (NAPPS) and PROServer List. "We are a diversified company", shares Stephen. "We provide not only process service but private investigative services, security and consulting." CST Servers understands that clients have many options when it comes to legal document process serving as well as document delivery these days, but they offer one of a kind services of experienced professionals who have the background, knowledge and experience to quickly and effectively serve and deliver legal documents. All of the jobs the company receives are a high priority and handled with attention to detail and proper following of clients' instruction. Through their high level of experience, knowledge and professionalism CST Servers in Colorado provides clients with an aggressive, fresh approach to the process service industry whose reputation has been one of unreliability. Because legal documents are of a confidential and important nature, it is essential to use an experienced registered and certified process server that you can trust to perform this crucial assignment and make certain it is completed effectively. Stephen Webster and CST Servers are knowledgeable and experienced in order to ensure that due diligence is accomplished successfully based on every serve’s location, situation, and individual court policies. There are complex laws to process-serving, so hiring a professional process server helps clients feel assured that their legal documents service of process is being accomplished correctly.
As Stephen Webster further shares, "If you want a trustworthy and experienced process server, look no further. Our years of experience equips us to take on even the toughest of cases. We handle each unique case with dedication as we tailor our services to meet your needs. We value our clients and stress communication, you will never be in question on the status of your serve."
Next time you need service of process, skip tracing, investigations and surveillance, background checks or court filings, Stephen from CST Servers can help! Learn more by visiting their website at CST Servers.
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
Once upon a time...Back in year 2012 a man we are going to name John Smith woke up in his tastefully furnished home. It was promising to be a beautiful summer weekend in Charleston, North Carolina, and John was looking forward to spending time with his family playing games in their backyard... 
First things first, John Smith was in the habit of checking his emails in the morning and it was then that he saw a message from his local bank, advising him of a recent important notice related to his account. John logged in and carefully read the notice. In fact, he read it several times. It notified him that a New York equipment leasing company, he used to do business with several years ago, has won a judgment for non-payment against him, and there was a court order to garnish his wages… John Smith felt lost... He did not know anything about the judgment, the court order, the garnishment… His finances would be in jeopardy. John knew he had to place a call to his attorney immediately… He did not know this was coming… He has never been notified… Though rarely service of process brings you good news, John Smith would have definitely preferred to know in advance… He would have rather been served with the legal papers...
Do you know that according to the National Center for State Courts, process service is one of the top challenges confronting the justice system? Consistent with fundamental notions of due process and fairness, a person must receive proper notice of any judicial action in which he or she is made a party of. Yet process service is often a neglected step in a judicial proceeding. Proper service on a party and a correct affidavit of service filed with the court ensure that the parties to the action have been notified as prescribed by the court system.
Legal market analysis conducted by the Process Server Center shows that more than 87% of attorneys, paralegals and legal managers are not satisfied with their current process server. Service of process is certainly no fun! If not completed or done properly, insufficient service of process may result in a delay, breach of duty or termination of an otherwise successful trial. It could become costly. Among legal professionals, process service is often associated with headaches! What usually happens is that either you or your legal team spend valuable time chasing process servers to check on the status of legal documents being served or to obtain a completed affidavit on time for a court hearing. Even when filed with the court, a defendant may still appear and challenge the sufficiency of the service or the veracity of the return. Your headaches from improper service of process are mounting and your legal team spends valuable resources to ensure compliance and due diligence. Among process servers, service of process is also associated with frustrations! Most of the time clients provide very scarce information when contacting a process server for a new job. The information a client usually seeks is how much a process server would charge for serving legal documents in his/her area. Hardly any further details are provided, such as originating court, type of legal documents, methods of service allowed by the court. It is rare that a client would offer any other information pertaining to the person to be served, such as when he/she is usually home; does he work?; how is the address verified? Lack of information provided by the client and lack of details oftentimes lead to incorrect service of process or unnecessary attempts without proper due diligence. Factors that lead to inconsistencies in the quality of service of process Just because process service is simple, it does not mean it is easy... A nationwide survey, conducted by the Process Server Center, shows that more than 89% of process servers struggle to retain their clients in the long-run, while 87% of legal professionals are ready to change their process server. Competition is fierce in service of process and every day new people become process servers to take the place of others. Years of working with process servers throughout the United States and interviewing lawyers, legal assistants and paralegals have helped us identify some of the key factors that lead to inconsistencies in the quality of process service:
All of these factors lead to inconsistencies in the quality of service of process and to the mounting confusion among clients who need to hire a process server. The lack of a meaningful review process, the ease of entry into the profession (apart from a handful of states requiring certification or licensing) and the increasing number of process servers, both full-time and part-time, lead to fierce competition based mostly on the difference in the fees process servers charge for serving legal documents. There is nothing else (except a word of mouth reference) that a client can rely on in order to select and hire a process server who is knowledgeable, reliable and consistent. 
Need for National Standard for Process Service
Based on the surveys mentioned above, the current approach to finding a professional process server frequently leads to inconsistent quality of service of process, inefficient performance, low pay and poor image of process servers in general. The Process Server Center aims to clear the confusion within the industry and help provide better solutions for both process servers and legal professionals through specific, actionable solutions, the development of relevant training for process servers and the administration of PROServer LIST, the first nationwide exclusive Directory for Certified and Pre-Screened Process Servers. There is a definite need to revolutionize the process service industry in a meaningful way, different from legislation imposed rules and regulations that often confuse and cause hardships to industries. There is a clear demand to implement a National Standard for Process Service built on the basis of the very needs of process servers. There is strong call for new and modern solutions for:
The implementation of a National Standard for Process Service will help legal teams:
Even in light of the increasing pace of technological advances, personal service of process remains “personal” and it is still the most reliable way to ensure compliance with constitutionally imposed due process of notice to a defendant and the opportunity to be heard. Without proper service of process a court has no jurisdiction over a defendant and may not proceed. Understanding the importance and weight of service of process is essential to the outcome of a lawsuit. Knowing your process server is imperative and selecting a process server must be on the basis of experience, education and reliability, not on the service fees he/she charges to serve your legal documents. It is indeed time to revolutionize the process service industry in the United States, to advance the profession, to clear the image of so many really good and professional process servers who lack the proper tools and platforms to distinguish themselves and truly show their high professionalism.
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
Highlights:
It is with great pleasure that we introduce PROServer James Wheeler, Jr. from the state of New York. Jim is the owner of Here to Serve, LLC, a process service business that provides professional and reliable process service in Otsego County, state of New York, as well as parts of Delaware, Schoharie and Chenango counties. Jim is both a certified and pre-screened process server with PROServer List which means he has successfully passed the Certification Exam, administered by the Process Server Center and has been pre-screened by our client members. "Jim Wheeler is by far one of the best and most professional process servers", shares one of our PROServer List clients, Andrew Watson with Associated Legal, "Our company works with more than 4,000 process servers nationwide, and Jim from Here to Serve definitely stands out. He is knowledgeable and proactive, professional and goes beyond his duties to investigate and many times obtain a new address for difficult to find respondents. Jim is extremely reliable when called upon to serve legal documents and handles rush services fast and with great diligence. I would say he truly deserves the designation of a PROServer, one who is 'the best and most reliable [...] selected among many process servers to be fully equipped to serve process correctly the first time'".
Jim Wheeler Jr. has over 17 years of experience and more than 42,000 papers served and counting ...! Here to Serve in New York State utilizes the latest technologies in the process service profession, including GPS stamped photos upon request. When asked what differentiates him from many other process servers, Jim shares that he is obsessed "with improving and perfecting the process with the ultimate goal of amazing my clients. I strive to work twice as hard as my competitors who are often half my age. " In addition to process service, Here to Serve helps legal professionals with document retrieval, court filings, record searches, notice postings, foreclosure sales attendance/representation as well as occupancy inspections.
Paralegals, attorneys and pro se clients are all eager to share their experience with Jim Wheeler's work. He is one of very few nationwide process servers committed to proper service and thorough due diligence. Jim is knowledgeable, investigative and persistent with fair pricing, quick service and always a correct and timely affidavit. "My very first service of process was in October of 2003. The moment I completed that service, I knew this was my future. So for the next four years, I slowly grew the business while holding down a full time day job. Then in the fall of 2007, I left my day job and went 'all in' on serving papers full time. It has been the most rewarding career imaginable. I love my job!", Jim Wheeler shares. And loving his job truly shows when you hire Jim from Here to Serve to help you with your process service. Jim always goes the extra mile and is eager to continue to learn more and acquire new skills, a trait the Process Server Center highly encourages by offering free online programs to its PROServer List members. 
The Process Server Center has a twofold purpose. On the one hand, clients needed an easy way to sift through the many listings of process servers in the United States and quickly find a reliable process server they can trust. On the other hand, PROServer List is the first group of exclusive process servers who stand out among their peers with their highest professionalism. It allows servers to differentiate themselves and be awarded for their hard work and persistence in this difficult profession.
PROServer List is not for everyone, but it is definitely the group for process servers like James Wheeler, Jr. who, in addition to their professional skills, are a pleasure to work with. Jim not only serves your legal documents, and delivers the correct affidavit on time, but watches out for court dates, serve by dates, follows up to clarify on client's instructions, asks questions before attempting a service in order to make sure he has the best approach to successfully serve a defendant in a lawsuit.
In his years of experience, Jim has many process service stories to share. "The thing about process serving is I never know what's going to happen on the job. Some people chase me off their property. Others invite me in for dinner. Once I served a person who then asked me to stay for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. Still others have asked me to keep them in my prayers. One man I recently served reached out to me online a few days later and we have now become friends. He even made me some homemade apple sauce and a loaf of banana bread. In addition he became a client when he hired me to serve someone else..."
When you need legal documents served in Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie or Chenango counties in New York, do not hesitate to reach out to Jim Wheeler from Here to Serve. "Process Serving, when done with compassion and understanding, can open new doors for relationships and mutual respect.", Jim adds. When you hire Jim Wheeler, your process will be handled properly every time, and who knows, you may even become friends. Learn more by visiting Here to Serve website.
Author: The Process Server Center | PROServerCENTER is a legal professional organization whose mission is to set a national standard for the process service industry in the United States.
Highlights:
Ernest Moody has recently joined PROServer LIST as a newly certified PROServer from the state of Florida. He runs Capital Court Services, conveniently located in downtown Tallahassee. Ernest proudly provides prompt process service to all of the state agencies, such as Florida Secretary of State, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Revenue, Attorney General and Governor's Office. In addition, Capital Court Services regularly serves registered agents, including Corporation Service Company, CT Corporation System, Prentice-Hall Corporation System, LexisNexis, NRAI and more. Ernest Moody is certified by Florida's 2nd Judicial Circuit as a process server, FL License No. CC300127. Additionally, he is an accredited FAPPS Process Server (AFPS) and has training and experience in private investigations. Ernest holds a certificate in Legal Investigations from Florida Gulf Coast University and has received the designation of a certified PROServer after successful completion of the required Certification Exam with a score of more than 80%. He is now awaiting pre-screening from client members of PROServer LIST upon which he will be awarded the dual designation of a certified and pre-screened PROServer. "I have been a full-time professional process server for over 10 years and I take the profession seriously. It is surprising how many people become process servers in order to make "side money" or because they only want to work a few hours a week. They are unable to meet the needs of many clients, and tend to reflect poorly on the profession. Litigation support is what I do. I take pride in my work and the career that I have built", shares Ernest about his experience and what differentiates him from other process servers.
Many of the clients who hire Ernest for their process service needs, quickly realize how seriously he takes their business. At Capital Court Services "I strive for transparency and clear communication with every client regardless of the size of their firm," further shares Ernest. The company is fully equipped to handle a variety of legal cases with different requirements for deadlines and methods of service, including small claims pleadings, family law, witness subpoenas and tenant eviction complaints.
Ernest has many stories about the many services he has successfully completed for his clients. When prompted to share a story that has stuck with him, Ernest says "I have served thousands of papers for the Florida Department of Children and Families, and those cases are often tragic. My early experience serving negligent or abusive parents made a great impression on me, and gave me a much better understanding of the important role that process servers play for the legal system and society. On a lighter note, I once located and served a man in the middle of a national forest. He was temporarily staying in a tent to hide from his divorce papers."
Next time you need service of process, retrieval of public records or a skip trace to locate a difficult defendant, Ernest from Capital Court Services can help you! Learn more by visiting their website at Capital Court Services.
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