International Service of Process

ALC knows the best ways to serve your documents in any country in the world.  We will serve your documents correctly, faster and more economically than anyone!

An Ancillary Legal staff attorney will discuss all your options for service including benefits, potential problems and expense of each. Let us review with you the formal methods of service required by U.S. Courts and foreign courts, as well as the additional expedient informal methods of service such as mail service or a private process server and ascertain which informal methods may be inappropriate or illegal in a particular country.   In addition, we also facilitate depositions, translations, investigations and other discovery services.

Hague Service Convention countries include most of the world’s industrialized countries. Find out if a nation has filed reservations, declarations and qualifications to the treaty that affect either the requirements for service or prohibitions against  service in that country, including the requirement of translations.

Inter American Treaty countries include mostly Latin American nations. Find out if a nation has reservations, declarations and qualifications that affect the methods for service in that country, including the requirement of translations. Determine if a member nation is a party to two treaties and how an attorney should proceed.

Letters Rogatory are mandated for formal service in all countries that are not parties to an international process treaty. Documents must by transmitted through diplomatic channels. Find out what might happen to the client and the law firm if this procedure is ignored. Weigh that against your decision to ignore this method of service. Since the US State Department filing fees alone are in excess of $2,200 and take many months, what are a lawyer’s alternatives?

The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act is applicable for all foreign countries. The statute mandates exclusive service of process procedures for every recognized foreign governmental agency as well as every business (i.e. governmental instrumentality) in communist countries such as China.

Informal Service by mail or by a private process server is illegal and/ or improper in many countries. Such expedient methods of service allow service to be easily and quickly made on an agent in the United States, mailing by a Clerk of Court, Secretary of State, or by a private process server in a foreign country but they carry risks to the plaintiff’s lawyer and law firm that should always be discussed beforehand with one of our staff attorneys.

Call to discuss your case at 404-459-8006 or 404-805-0029 and get a quote over the phone as well.