The men and women of the military often put their lives at risk for the protection of the country and its citizens. Everyone should respect military members, even when they have done something that leads to a legal case. Yet for any case to move forward in Florida, service of process must be made. Here is what you need to know about serving papers to military members.
Jurisdiction for Service
When you have a case involving a military service member, you have to make sure that jurisdiction allows for the case to move forward and service to be made. Jurisdiction is often based on a person’s domicile, which can be different than their physical address. If a person is stationed on a base in Florida, their state of residence could be Tennessee or any other state. If that is the case, you won’t be able to serve them in Florida. You may need to hire a process server in their state of residence to deliver the papers when they are home on leave.
Serving on Military Bases
If the person you need served lives on a military base, there may be some difficulty in getting them served. The process server must contact the military police on the base, who will then contact the Judge Advocate General, who will either approve or deny the request to serve the papers. If the process server is denied, they will not be able to serve the papers.
If the person that you need served has a domicile in Florida but is serving in another country, you have to follow that country’s rules for service of process, as well as the rules of the military base where they are residing. In most cases, mail is best in these situations.
If you have a legal matter involving a military member, it can complicate the matter considerably. Know that service of process will be made accurately and within the rules of the military when you choose our service.
