Service of Process by Publication
Service of Process by Publication
We’ve played a key role in thousands of court cases, serving legal documents of every kind for attorneys, law firms, insurance companies, businesses, government agencies, and individuals for more than three decades. We also deliver legal papers directly to defendants in 195 countries, all 50 states, U.S. territories, and Native American reservations and our investigation agency handles the private-investigation and due-diligence work behind a service-by-publication order, anywhere in the world.
Service of Process by Publication: Fast, Court-Compliant Notice Nationwide and Worldwide
When a defendant in your court case can’t be located despite your best efforts, and a judge has issued an order permitting service by publication, The Global Process Server can handle it for you. We’ve provided service of process by publication since 1986, and our team finds fast, affordable, and court compliant news sources traditional and online to publish your legal notice in all 50 states, U.S. territories, Native American reservations, or anywhere in the world. We can also file the publication on your behalf.
Courts typically won’t grant an order for service by publication until you can show the judge that you made a genuine, diligent effort to locate and serve the defendant through other methods first. Our certified private investigators handle that due diligence work, using the search methods set out in California’s Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) 415.10–415.50 and the equivalent standards in other jurisdictions and once your order is granted, we can typically get your publication filed within one to three business days.
How We Handle Service of Process by Publication
Service by publication lets you notify a defendant of a legal case against them by placing a notice summons, subpoena, or other legal document in a newspaper or approved online outlet, instead of serving them in person. Courts allow it only as a last resort, after other, more direct service methods have failed.
Before you can publish anything, most courts require a motion asking permission to serve by publication, laying out the steps you’ve already taken to locate and serve the defendant. We help our clients put together that due-diligence record records checks, address and skip-trace searches, documented past attempts so the motion holds up with the judge.
From Due Diligence to Proof of Publication
Once the court grants the order, the notice generally has to run in a “general circulation” publication: one that’s available to the public, published daily or weekly, sold to subscribers, and holds a second-class mailing permit from the USPS, with at least four pages and four columns. Free papers usually don’t qualify. Courts commonly require the notice to run weekly for several consecutive weeks.
After the notice has run, you’ll need to prove it to the court usually with an affidavit or certificate of publication from the newspaper or outlet that ran it. We coordinate that paperwork so you have it ready to file.
How long the whole process takes depends on your court’s specific requirements how many weeks the notice has to run, whether a hearing is needed to approve the motion, and how quickly the publication can confirm your proof. We keep track of those deadlines for you and can usually turn around the filing itself in one to three business days once we have what we need.
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Who Are We? Meet The Global Process Server
We’ve played a key role in thousands of court cases, serving legal documents of every kind for attorneys, law firms, insurance companies, businesses, government agencies, and individuals for more than three decades. We also deliver legal papers directly to defendants in 195 countries, all 50 states, U.S. territories, and Native American reservations and our investigation agency handles the private-investigation and due-diligence work behind a service-by-publication order, anywhere in the world.
Our team is legally savvy and highly experienced, with many members coming from law enforcement and government backgrounds. We’re trained in both procedure and client communication, and we run on our own proprietary system so you always know where your case stands. It’s why we’ve been a top choice for process service and litigation support for more than 30 years.
Service of Process by Publication
Complete Service of Process by Publication Coverage
- Due Diligence Investigation & Documentation
- Motion for Order of Publication
- General-Circulation Newspaper Placement
- Approved Online Publication Placement
- Family Law & Divorce Matters
- Civil & Business Litigation
- Probate & Property Disputes
- Nationwide, Territorial & International Coverage
How to Request Service of Process by Publication
As a One Time User
To request a one-time International process service assignment, these are the steps:
Process Service Tip: for a small fee, we can file your proof of service with any courthouse; just mention it during your process service request.
Step 1 – Complete the Service of Process by Publication Request Form.
Step 2 – You will receive an invoice by email, and we’ll begin your work once it’s paid.
Step 3 – We prepare your due-diligence documentation and motion, then coordinate your publication once the court approves it.
Step 4 – You receive your proof of publication, documented and ready to file with the court.
Reminder: If you’d like us to file your Proof of Publication formally with the court (for a small fee), please ask during Step 1.
To Arrange Multiple Assignments as an Attorney, Law Firm, Insurance Company, or Business Organization
If you would like to become a client and use us on a regular basis, these are the steps:
Step 1 – Register an account for instant access to our online portal. A bill will be sent according to the arrangements.
Step 2 – Share your case details and any supporting documents through the portal for us to work with.
Step 3 – We handle your due diligence, motion, and publication with the same urgency as any deadline you’re working against.
Step 4 – Receive your proof of publication directly through the portal, documented and ready to file or present in court.
Submit your service of process by publication request now for immediate support. Our team is ready to help you get your case moving. Call us today at 855-505-9155 with any questions.
Service by publication is governed by state civil procedure rules and each court’s own local requirements, including California’s Code of Civil Procedure sections 415.10–415.50. For more information:
FAQ
People Also Ask: Answers to the Questions We Hear Most
It requires showing the court you made a genuine, documented effort to find and serve the person first — not just that you couldn’t reach them. Once that due-diligence record is in place, courts routinely grant publication orders. We prepare that documentation and the motion for you.
Legally, yes — once the court approves it and the notice runs as ordered, service is considered complete whether or not the defendant actually sees it. That’s the point of the due-diligence requirement: courts only allow publication when more direct notice genuinely isn’t possible.
Requirements vary by court and case type, but generally include documented attempts to locate the person — records checks, address and skip-trace searches, and outreach to known contacts. We handle this research and put it into the format your court expects.
Costs depend on the publication, the length of the notice, and how many weeks it must run. We only place notices in newspapers or online outlets that meet your court’s “general circulation” requirements — reach out for a quote specific to your case.
