D&R Legal Process Service, LLC.
Small Claims Process Serving
Don’t waste your time waiting at the courthouse. We’ll go for you.
Let D&R Legal Process Service Get Your Small Claims Court Documents Served and Help Win Your Case.
D&R Legal Process Service
Small claims court can be exhausting and stressful.
As small business owners ourselves, we understand that you may not have time to chase that bounced check or those unpaid invoices and the thought of waiting in line at the small claims court house for hours on end, isn’t going to help that bottom line!
Especially since your time and energy spent dealing with this can’t be recovered from the defendant, but you can pay us to do it for you and recover all or most of your costs.
We are your Small Claims Process Serving experts, specializing in small claims court California.
Let us help you save time and energy by getting your small claims court documents served.
Dependable & Responsible Since 1985!
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36 Years of Experience
We have over 36 years of experience in the legal processing field.
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Fast and Smooth Service
With D&R Legal Process your paperwork will be filed and served quickly and smoothly.
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Affordable Pricing
One of our top priorities is making sure our legal process costs are fair to both parties so we work at a competitive rate.
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Complete Support
We're here to help you every step of the way. We offer a full-service experience with our legal process services.
Let D&R Legal Process Service, LLC be your Small Claims "department".
You’ve already dealt with enough. Let us handle the rest, so you can get back to what really matters: your life.
At D&R Legal Process Service, LLC, we don’t just serve your papers; we deliver results!
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Recover All or Most of Your Costs
We can't give you back the time you already spent on your small claim, but we can help you recover your all or most of your costs.
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Process Done For You
We will go to the courthouse, file the initial claim, serve your defendants and then prepare and file your proof of service document and file it with the court. All you have to do is to show up for your hearing date!
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No Waiting in Line
Forget about the tedious process of having to go to the courthouse and waiting hours in line, because we will do it for you.
Let us handle the time-consuming details of your small claims process serving.
We have been in business for over 36 years and know how to get the job done right!
D&R Legal Process Service
We Understand the Frustration of Dealing with Small Claims Court
At D&R Legal Process Service, LLC we know how frustrating small claims court can be, and we don’t want to see our clients go through that confusing, time-consuming, and stressful process.
We want you to recover your costs and win your small claims case, so you can get back to enjoying the things that really matter.
With over 36 years of experience, we have a reputation for providing excellent service and high-quality results.
Our process serving team is ready to work to put an end to your small claims court problems!
- Complete Support Every Step of the Way
- Committed to Our Clients Success
- Quick and Smooth Streamlined Process
- Hands-off Approach
SIMPLIFIED PROCESS
How do I Get Started?
We have a simple process that makes it easy for you to get the help you need and move forward.
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Fill Out Your Small Claims Fillable Forms
The First step is to fill out yoursmall claims fillable forms below or if you need help with that, please give us a call and we will refer you to a Legal Document Assistant we work with on a regular basis.
Click here for the forms 01
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File Your Documents and Pay Filing Fees
Once your documents have been completed they need to be filed with the court and the proper filing fee paid. Please see the following fee schedule, Small Claims Statewide Filing Fees. Please set your hearing date 45 to 60 days out and provide us with the case right away. We can file the claim for you and potentially save you hours of time for an additional fee. 02
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Have Your Documents Served on Each Defendant
After the documents have been filed they will need to be served on each defendant, otherwise, you will need to dismiss any unserved entity. Please see our Process Serving Page for fees and coverage areas. 03
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Collect Your Money!
Finally, once you have won your small claims case and have waited the statutory 30 days after judgment if the defendant has not satisfied the judgment yet, it is your right to attempt to collect it from them. Please visit our Judgment Enforcement section for information on how we can help you collect your judgment. 04
MORE INFORMATION
What is a Small Claims Court?
When a defendant personally becomes involved in a dispute with another individual, business or service provider, these disputes usually end up in small claims court.
In the state of California Business’s can sue for up to $5,000 and Individuals can sue for up to $10,000.
Here are some examples of small claims court disputes:
- unpaid money that was loaned to a friend.
- an auto purchase where a junk vehicle is sold and the seller refuses to return the paid amount.
- a landlord refuses to surrender the deposit.
- These are simplified proceeding where plaintiff and defendant appear without attorneys. Small claims cases can be filed both by U.S. citizens and those without legal residence status.
A legal claim sometimes requires bringing a defendant to court unwillingly. By law the person must be notified in order for them to appear in court. This notification is known as service and is delivered by a process server.
How can you find a good process server for small claims?
The process server can “serve” a variety of court documents including Small Claims Subpoenas, Plaintiff’s Claims and Defendant’s Claims in small claims court.
But it’s important to find the right one.
Here are some key features to look for:
1. Knowledgeable and Experienced: Your small claims process server should ask a lot of questions when you call them for a quote and should be able to tell you the last day for both substitute and personal service with your specific court date, the court and defendant locations.
They should help you determine if the home or the work would be the better address to attempt service at first and what in the world should you do if the only address you have is, The UPS Store (a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency aka CMRA).
They should be registered and bonded in a county in California with several years, if not decades of experience serving legal papers.
You also want to see lots of positive reviews from real clients both on their website and online at sites like Google, Yelp, Facebook and Better Business Bureau.
2. Quick, professional, personal service: A professional process server worth the investment will be able to provide timely contact to a defendant, on time and expeditiously. They should be familiar with the legal intricacies of serving both an individual and a business or public entity to make sure your court has jurisdiction over the defendant on time and makes the trial date.
This goes without saying, but people do avoid service and will sometimes move before you have decided to file your lawsuit, so the more information you can provide your server up front, like descriptions, car info, best times, pictures, etc. The more likely they will be able to overcome the defendants efforts and the quicker your documents will be served.
3. Professional staff: Finding and notifying a person served is often a group task that benefits from strong organization and a solid foundation in teamwork. Service of Process is a deeply involved and delicate matter that requires process servers who don’t just decide one day to serve court papers, there is a lot of education and training that goes into being able to answer what seems to be a simple question of, “What’s a good service?” A plaintiff’s claim needs to be stewarded through a professional process server and careful handling starting from first contact to the court date.
Learn the important rules about proper service of process
Process servers are governed by a number of legal restrictions, including:
- being 18 or older
- not a felon
- you cannot have served 10 legal documents in the previous 12 months without being a California Registered Process Server.
- not being a party to the case, meaning not a plaintiff, defendant or a witness, you want an unbiased third party to deliver your papers.
- you need the knowledge of what the deadlines are for the particular document you are serving, what exactly is a good service, knowing what you can and cannot do in order to deliver the legal papers you have.
A process server is not an attorney and is not able to, for example, give sound legal advice as an attorney would. Nevertheless, a server should have a strong understanding of the court process and be familiar with the required legal documents in process server work.
What are small claims forms?
In California, the only form required for the plaintiff is the Plaintiff’s Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court (SC-100).
And for the defendant to counter sue is the Defendant’s Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court (SC-120)
This form can either be served by a professional server, by certified mail through the court clerk, or by someone over 18, not a party to the action (i.e. a friend or relative serves it for you).
How can a process server help me get my small claims forms served?
The process server personally or through substitute service delivers your small claim papers to the other party.
Successful delivery is then transmitted to the court with a form called “Proof of Service.” The server will file this form with the court, for an additional charge, it details when, where and how the person was served.
Small Claims Mediation
In some small claims courts the plaintiff has an opportunity to mediate their dispute once the defendant is served.
The mediator will be a trained professional who will help the parties resolve their dispute by helping them focus on what is really important and finding solutions that both sides can live with.
If you want to try mediation we suggest that you contact the court where your case was filed and ask them about this option.
We also suggest that you contact an attorney to help you with mediation since it can be complicated and confusing, but the benefits usually outweigh the risks so if you can afford it your attorney will know how to do it properly to protect your rights.
What Are The COVID-19 Rental Debt Small Claims Forms?
In California, the forms required for the plaintiff is the Plaintiff’s Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court (COVID-19 Rental Debt) (SC-500) and the Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (COVID-19 Rental Debt) (SC-500A)
For specifics and more information please see the COVID-19 Rental Debt in Small Claims Court Information (SC-500-INFO)
Ultimate Guide to the California Small Claims Court Process
You will learn everything you need to know about bringing a successful small claims action in California.
Review
FROM OUR SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
Plaintiff's Small Claims Fillable Forms
Plaintiff’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court
Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (Small Claims) (pdf)
Authorization to Appear on Behalf of Party (Small Claims) (pdf)
Fictitious Business Name (Small Claims) (pdf)
Plaintiff’s Claim and Order to Go to Small Claims Court (COVID-19 Rental Debt) (SC-500)
Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (COVID-19 Rental Debt) (SC-500A)
COVID-19 Rental Debt in Small Claims Court Information (SC-500-INFO)
Request to Amend Party Name Before Hearing (Small Claims) (pdf)
Request for Court Order and Answer (pdf)
Response to Request to Make Payments (Small Claims) (pdf)
Declaration of Default in Payment of Judgment (pdf)
Acknowledgment of Satisfaction of Judgment – Small Claims (pdf)
Small Claims Subpoena for Personal Appearance and Production of Documents at Trial or Hearing and Declaration (pdf)
Defendant's Small Claims Fillable Forms
Defendant’s Claim and ORDER to Go to Small Claims Court (Small Claims) (pdf)
Other Plaintiffs or Defendants (Small Claims) (pdf)
Authorization to Appear on Behalf of Party (Small Claims) (pdf)
Small Claims Subpoena for Personal Appearance and Production of Documents at Trial or Hearing and Declaration (pdf)
Request to Postpone Trial (Small Claims) (pdf)
Notice of Motion to Vacate Judgment and Declaration (pdf)
Notice of Appeal (pdf)
Request to Pay Judgment to Court (pdf)
Request to Make Payments (Small Claims) (pdf)