Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What sorts of documents will your company serve?
A. We will serve any document that you have. This includes Family court, Civil Court, Small Claims Court, Criminal Court and all forms of Summonses, Subpoenas. If you have it, we will serve it.
Q. What are the advantages of using a professional process server?
A. Some of the advantages are practical. The employees of GMJ serve summonses, subpoenas, statements of claim and other legal documents on a daily basis. By retaining the services of a professional process server one avoids the hassle of running all over town, missing work and time with one’s family. The employees of GMJ Professional Services are familiar with the tricks and techniques of the trade, and, as such, can handle service of your documents much more efficiently and reliably than a layman could. We serve your documents, draw up the (rather complicated) affidavits, have them notarized for you and can even file them in court for you.
Other advantages concern your personal safety and security. Handing a summons, subpoena or other court document to an individual can sometimes be a risky undertaking. When one is involved in a lawsuit emotions can run very high. This can be the case with Family Court as well as Civil Court matters. By retaining the services of a professional, one removes the possibility of becoming involved in an altercation or other unwanted incident.
Lastly, there are legal benefits to retaining a professional process server. As professional process servers, we are intimately familiar with the legal requirements of the jurisdictions in which we work. There are many misconceptions about what constitutes ‘being served’. The law in this area is quite convoluted and we have had several clients come to us requesting service after they had been unexpectedly informed by a judge or court clerk that they steps they had taken to ‘serve’ someone did not meet the legal requirements of ‘serving’. With our specialized knowledge you can rest assured that the results of your efforts will be legally binding – the person served will be legally compelled to attend court – if they do not then you will be well positioned to pursue a judgment in absentia.
Q. Does your company serve documents on persons residing outside of the Ottawa Region?
A. We can arrange to have your documents served anywhere in Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and worldwide. Call us for a competitive quote and more information.
Q. How do I get my documents to you?
A. You can send them to us by post or courier, you can drop them off to us or we can arrange to pick them up for free within Ottawa. Which ever method you prefer is fine. Contact us to make arrangements.
Q. Can I recover the costs of your services in court from a defendant?
A. Usually you can. If you win a judgment in civil or small claims court you may very well be able to include costs associated with serving parties to the claim. We will provide you with a receipt for this purpose and usually include costs in our affidavits of service.
Q. What is an affidavit of service?
A. An affidavit of service is a legal document completed by your process server outlining where, when and on whom the documents, summonses etc. were served. The affidavit is sworn before and signed by a lawyer, notary public, justice of the peace or commissioner of oaths. Affidavits of service must be completed properly, signed and filed in court before the court will acknowledge that a given person has been served and must therefore attend court. An affidavit of service is a necessity.
Q. Does your company serve documents originating outside the province of Ontario?
A. We receive requests for service from lawyers, corporations and private citizens across North America and around the world. We would be delighted to serve your documents and are able to complete affidavits that will meet the needs of the court in your jurisdiction. Such affidavits will always be sworn before a Notary Public in and for the Province of Ontario so as to ensure that they are accepted by your court.