Solo Process Server for Law Firms

Law firms, paralegals, legal clinics, collection agencies and people representing themselves in court.

A set fee per serve, plus extra for rush jobs, evening or weekend attempts, extra attempts, travel distance and skip tracing (locating hard-to-find people).

• Calm and polite under tension
• Careful record keeping
• Reliable driving and route planning
• Understanding local service rules

• Rules on who can serve documents and how differ by province and by type of court, so check your provincial court rules
• Some provinces or municipalities may require a licence or registration for process servers or for private investigators, so check with your provincial regulator
• Never misrepresent yourself or trespass, and know your limits on private property such as gated buildings
• Safety risk if a person reacts badly, so plan how you handle tense situations
• Commercial general liability insurance and a vehicle with proper business cover are worth checking
• Payment can be slow from some clients, so agree terms upfront
• Collect GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $500 to $3,000, depending on your vehicle, insurance and supplies. Commercial general liability insurance and proper business cover for your vehicle are worth checking.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $600 to $4,000, depending on how many serves you complete and your area. The estimates assume at least about 10 hours a week. Payment can be slow from some clients, so agree terms upfront.

Things to check include who can serve documents and how, which differs by province and type of court. Some provinces or municipalities may require a licence or registration for process servers or private investigators, so check with your provincial regulator.