Service of Process

Service is the procedure by witch a party to a lawsuit gives an appropriate notice of initial legal actions to another party {such as a defendant}, court, or administrative body in an effort to exercise jurisdiction over that person so as to enable that person to respond to the proceeding before the court. The law says that when you sue a person, partnership, corporation, or the government, you must give formal notice to the other side that you have started the legal process. In the same way, when you are already involved in a case and file papers with the court, you are required to give the other side notice of the paperwork you have filed.