Serving Divorce Papers by Process Server

Has your spouse not responded to the divorce application?

If your spouse has not returned the acknowledgement of service, a process server can deliver the divorce application and give you the certificate of service the court needs to move on. In most no-fault divorces the court sends the application by email or post. When your spouse ignores it, or lives overseas, it falls to you to arrange service.

 

When you need a process server for a divorce

• Your spouse has not returned the acknowledgement of service.

• The court’s postal or email service has failed.

• Your spouse lives abroad, so you must arrange service yourself.

• You chose to arrange service yourself when you applied.

• You want certainty and a clear record that the papers were received.

 

Important time limits

If you arrange service yourself, make sure you keep to any time limits the court has set for serving the application. You cannot hand the papers to your spouse yourself, but a process server can. Tell us about any deadline when you request your quote and we will plan our attendances around it.

 

How we serve divorce papers

1. Complete the quote form below. We confirm the fee and timescale, usually within the hour during office hours, and send full instructions on how to get the documents to us.

2. Send us the divorce application pack and, ideally, a recent photograph of your spouse so we can identify them.

3. We attend the address, including at least one out-of-hours visit, and can also attend a workplace or another known address on your instructions.

4. Where possible, we serve the papers on your spouse in person and record the date, time and place. Where that is not possible, we may serve through the letterbox, and you can then ask the court for deemed service.

5. We send you the certificate of service to file with the court, so the divorce can move to the next stage.

We handle every divorce instruction discreetly and treat the person being served with courtesy.

 

If your spouse cannot be found

If your spouse has moved, our Trace service can locate a current address before we serve. If service still is not possible, the court may allow "deemed" or "dispensed" service, and our statement of every attempt helps support that application.

 

Divorce FAQs

What papers do you need from me? If you send the documents by email, we need one copy. If you send them by post, we need two copies: one set for your spouse and one to attach to our certificate of service. Check with the court or your solicitor that the pack is complete.

 

Can you serve papers on my spouse abroad? Yes. See our International Service page.

 

Can my friend or relative serve the papers instead? We recommend an independent professional. A process server gives the court a detailed statement of service from someone with no interest in the case, which is much harder to dispute.