Q: Can an attorney's paralegal serve you legal documents to the opposite party
The attorney's paralegal came to serve me the divorce papers today's and the papers where signed yesterday and their is not a court date or a case number
A: There is a strong argument that since the paralegal is just an extension of the attorney's office or firm, service by a paralegal is problematic. I have never seen a situation in which an attorney uses his or her paralegal for service. Court documents, such as initial divorce papers, are often served, or sent out for service, prior to the actual court case being filed. Once filed, a case number will be generated by the court and notice of a court date will also ultimately be provided. In some counties, initial court dates are not provided with the filing of the case.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
