Digital technology is everywhere. It has permeated nearly every aspect of our daily lives, and process serving is no exception. As the legal field embraces all that it has to offer, it stands to reason process serving is no different. This post will explore the various ways digital technology improves the entire landscape and scope of professional process serving.
Let’s start with the various forms of digital technology already in use for the professional process server:
1. Digital Document Management:
Paper files are quickly becoming obsolete. Want proof? Look no further than the digital casefile. Instead of carrying around large 6 sectioned folders or bankers boxes of paper files, casefiles are now very often kept in digital folders. This eliminates clutter, ink, physical storage space, and the necessity for flipping through pages to find needed information. Digital documents are easily searchable and copied. This ensures accuracy and efficiency when searching for and delivering specific documents.
2. GPS Location
GPS may be the single biggest technological advancement in use for the professional process server. Many process servers will utilize this groundbreaking technology with their smartphone or body camera. GPS Location or a geotag photograph that includes the time, date and location of the serve or attempt of service provides verifiable proof of service.
3. Proprietary Databases
The availability of online databases for the purpose of skip tracing or locating an individual are essential for the professional process server. While this topic is beyond the scope of this post, these tools pull from a digital “stew” of last known addresses, utility information, social media accounts, phone numbers, employment, known associates, roommates, family members, professional organizations, and other key identifiers that enhance a process server’s ability to locate and serve an individual.
4. Cloud Sharing
The ability to share secure digital folders and documents via online portals between law firms, clients, court clerks and process servers has changed the workflow and methods of communication for the legal industry. Now cases can be assigned, received, confirmed, and updated- all within a few minutes.
5. Mobile APPS
Extrapolating on #4, many of the benefits of cloud sharing are made possible by the features of mobile apps that are dedicated to the process server’s workflow. The ability to communicate, organize tasks, access and upload documents on the go, and send proof of service with time stamped gps coordinates really makes a big difference in the field for the professional process server.
6. The Tickler
The ability to “tickle” the mind or memory for the purpose of addressing legal or other deadlines has been a staple in the legal field and other knowledge based occupations seemingly forever. Before the digital world took hold, people would utilize the “43 Folder” system consisting of 43 folders: One for each month of the year, and 31 folders for each potential day of the month. Reminders were scribbled on index cards and post it notes, or sometimes whole documents were placed in the appropriate folder for a future reminder. At the beginning of each day, that day’s folder was reviewed, and then replaced at the back of the “rolling 31 days”, the proper month appearing at the end. When asked, “how long is the case going to take?”, or “how long before that serve is done?”, can be akin to asking, “How long is that ball of string?”
The ability to set digital reminders for deadlines, due dates, court hearings, expiring statutes of limitation, etc are greatly enhanced, making the process easier and more efficient when managing multiple cases with individual timelines and deadlines.
Conclusion: Technology has paved the way for a more robust user to end user experience when it comes to process serving. The integration of digital document management, gps location services and geotagging, access to proprietary databases, cloud sharing, mobile apps and the ability to set digital reminders have greatly increased the productivity, efficiency and streamlined the overall collaboration process between law firms, clients, and professional process servers.
Thank you for using Capital Discovery Solutions for all of your needs for a process server in Columbus Ohio.
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