How are court papers served in the UK?

Service is the formal step that brings a document to the other party's attention and starts the litigation clock. Because deadlines for responding run from the date of service, the rules on how it happens are precise, and getting it wrong can invalidate the step entirely.

The permitted methods

Under CPR Part 6, a document may be served by personal service, which means leaving it with the individual (or, for a company, a person holding a senior position); by first class post or DX to the correct address for service; by leaving it at a specified place, such as an individual's usual or last known residence or a company's registered office; by fax or email, but only where the receiving party has confirmed in advance that they accept service that way; or by any method the court itself orders. Each method carries its own deemed service date, which fixes the day the document is treated in law as served regardless of when it was actually read.

When personal service is essential

Some documents only take effect, or only become enforceable, when handed to the person directly. Injunctions, non molestation orders and any order endorsed with a penal notice fall into this category: a court will not commit someone for breaching an order they were never personally given. Bankruptcy petitions must also be served personally under the insolvency rules.

What happens if someone avoids service

Evasion does not stop proceedings. A professional process server will make multiple attempts at different times of day, verify the address, and record everything. If service still proves impossible, the court can be asked to permit alternative service under CPR 6.15, for example by email, by leaving documents with a relative, or even by social media, or to declare that steps already taken amount to good service. The evidence trail a professional server creates is precisely what those applications are built on.