Are you filing a civil lawsuit or divorce action in Miami-Dade County? If so, you (or your attorney) will need to officially notify the "other side" that a case has been filed against them before your civil action can proceed. You may also need to subpoena persons to appear in court or produce certain documents.
The Certified Civil Process Servers Unit was created in 1982 to relieve the burden of police departments who were using law enforcement personnel to serve court documents. Certified Civil Process Servers are individuals who are authorized by the Chief Judge to serve non-enforceable writs such as subpoenas, summonses, notices of hearings and requests for records. Process Servers are tested on their knowledge of proper service in accordance with the Florida Statutes. Background checks are conducted to ensure no convicted felons or arrestees convicted of moral turpitude are allowed to represent the Court. The certified process servers are sworn by a sitting judge to be knowledgeable, professional, compassionate, honest, and diligent.
The Certified Process Server Program offers certification and accountability by having certified Process Servers serve the parties, file verified returns of service, and proffer live testimony. These Process Servers are bonded, properly identified with court issued photo IDs, and monitored by a Certified Civil Process Server Review Board that handles complaints from the community regarding methods of service. The current Administrative Order 24-08, sets out the certification and regulation of Process Servers within the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
The overall objectives of the Certified Process Server Program in the Eleventh Circuit are:
- Ensure parties are properly served consistent with statutory and court rules;
- Provide the Judiciary with the confidence to proceed;
- Offer accountability in the form of verified return of service and live testimony;
- Facilitate the efficient and timely processing of cases through the Court system.
List of Certified Civil Process Servers in Miami-Dade County