Process Serving is when an individual delivers documents that notify a person that legal action is being taken against them.  According to the due process of law, each person involved must be adequately informed of court actions and any documents pertaining to these actions must be delivered in person.  These documents could be a variety of legal documents including writs, subpoenas to testify in court, a summons to appear in court and formal complaints.  In addition to serving papers, process servers can assist with retrieving court documents.

In most states, anyone over a certain age that is not involved in the case can be a process server.  However, in some cases, people do not want to be served legal documents. They may wish to avoid a court case or simply refuse to accept the documents. This can lead to volatile situations.  Another consideration is that each state has individual laws in what determines if an individual was served in a legal manner. 

Professional Private Investigators ensure that the documents are served and delivered in a legal manner.  Mistakes made in serving papers can cause a court case to be dismissed or create other legal problems.

In those cases where individuals attempt to avoid service, Private Investigators can employ surveillance techniques to locate the individual that is evading service.