Start here
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What you will need
- The name of each person or business to be served
- The address where each one should be served
- The case number and court, if you have them
- Your documents, as one file or one file per document
- Your billing code, if your firm uses one
1 Click Place an Order
Log in to your account. On your dashboard, click Place an Order.
2 Choose Process Serving
In What would you like us to do?, select Process Serving.
3 Enter the parties to be served
In Select number of Party(s) to Serve, choose how many people or businesses you need served. For more than 15, place more than one order.
For each party, type the name under Party(s) To Serve, choose their Capacity, such as Individual or Corporation, and enter the Registered Agent if you know it. Check Is Entity? for a business or other entity.
Click Next.
4 Enter the case information
On the Case Info tab, type the Case Number. If the case is already in your account, choose it from the list and the Jurisdiction and Case Title fill in for you. For a case that is new to your account, press Enter. Then, in Jurisdiction, type the city where the court is located and choose the court from the list.
Choose the Attorney of Record. The firm details for that attorney appear next to the name. Click Next.
4A No case number, or a different name on the proof
If you don’t have a case number yet, check Check here if you do not have a Case Number. The case number shows Not Applicable. Then choose the Attorney of Record.
To show a different name in the header of the proof of service, check Check here to override name on Proof of Service. The firm name, address and phone fields open so you can change them. Click Next.
5 Add the case participants
Add the lead parties in the case, such as the plaintiff and the defendant. You only need the lead parties. Parties already on the case are listed for you. Click Add Party(s), then choose the role, enter the name, and say whether the party is your lead client. Click Save.
Click Next.
6 Add documents for each party
On the Documents tab, choose Upload to send files from your computer or Fax to fax them to us. Each party is listed with (Document required). Click a party’s name to open its document fields.
If you checked Check to serve all parties with the same documents on the Order Info tab, the parties are not listed here. You add the documents once for everyone.
6A Add the documents
Start typing the Document Title and choose it from the list, or type your own title. Choose Starts with or Contains to change how the list is searched. Then click Upload from Computer and choose the file. Each document you attach is listed under Title.
6B Or upload from Clio or NetDocuments
If your firm keeps its files in Clio or NetDocuments, you can attach the document from there instead of from your computer. Click the arrow next to Upload from Computer and choose Clio or NetDocuments. Sign in if asked, then pick the file.
For the full steps, see Using Clio with Direct Legal Support or Using NetDocuments with Direct Legal Support.
6C Repeat for every party
When a party’s documents are added, (Document required) changes to (Document submitted). Repeat steps 6 and 6A until every party shows Document submitted, then click Next.
7 Add a service address for each party
On the Serve Info tab, each party is listed with (Address required). Click a party’s name to open the address fields.
7A Enter the address
In Enter Business Name or Address, start typing the address where the party should be served and choose it from the list. The address Type, such as Residential or Business, is filled in for you. Then click the green + button to add the address.
Fill in the other fields if they apply:
- If the documents have a hearing, choose the Time Zone and enter the Hearing Date/Time and Dept/Div.
- To have us advance witness fees, choose Yes next to Advance Witness Fees.
- To have us file the proof of service or have it notarized, check File or Notarize next to Proof. Additional fees apply.
- In Special Instructions, tell us anything that will help us serve the party, such as phone numbers or a description of the person.
7B Repeat for every party
When an address is added, (Address required) changes to (Address submitted). Repeat steps 7 and 7A until every party shows Address submitted, then click Next.
8 Choose when to attempt service
On the Order Details tab, each party has its own section. Click a party’s heading to open it (4).
Choose a service level under When would you like this attempted? (1). The price of each level is shown next to it. If your firm tracks orders by its own number, enter it in Internal Reference Number (2). It is optional.
Each party’s Fee Summary (3) shows the service fee, any Payment Processing Fee and the total for that party. Once you choose a service level for every party, Order Totals (5) shows each party’s total and the Grand Total.
Check Notifications (click + to add someone) and the Payment Method (6). When you are ready, click Submit.
9 Get your confirmation
A confirmation appears with your order numbers. Click Print Confirmation(s) to print the order confirmation or routing pages.
After you order
- Follow your orders under Pending Orders on your dashboard
- Find the proofs of service under Closed Orders once service is complete
Good to know
Serving just one party? See our guide How to Place a Process Serving Order for a Single Entity.
Need it sooner than the times shown? Call us at (800) 675-5376.
Questions? We’re here to help.
Call our Litigation Division Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific, or email info@directlegal.com. Ready to order? Log in to the portal.
Prefer paper? Download this guide as a PDF to print or save. More guides: Client Portal Guides.