How Long Will It Take To Serve My Documents?

There are some aspects of serving a document that the process server has control over, while there are other aspects they cannot control.

When we serve documents, we do some research to figure out the best time/place to serve a subject. While we may have a good idea where/when to find someone, there’s a chance that the subject won’t be available when an attempt is made.

We make attempts at different times of the day including weekends, and sometimes even on holidays. The state of Hawaii prohibits service of process to be conducted at a place not open to the general public (like a private residence) between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am.

Generally speaking, at minimum, an attempt will be made in the morning hours (usually 8:00am to 11:00am), afternoon hours (11:00am to 5:00pm) and evening hours (5:00pm to 9:00pm). Whenever possible, we will make an attempt on a weekend day (Saturday or Sunday). Many process servers will do 3 attempts then close the case. We have no set number of attempts. What we do offer is that we will do our best to:

1) Serve the document

2) Determine the document cannot be served (subject is deceased, service address is an empty lot, etc.)

3) Establish diligence for alternative means of service. (Explain to the court why the document needs to be served by posting, publication, etc.)

After a few service attempts, if we feel that progress isn’t being made, we will contact the client to discuss other options. Sometimes an alternative address or other approaches will result in success.

Generally, most documents are served within 10 - 14 days of first receipt. If you do have a deadline when documents need to be served, it’s best to let the process server know in advance.