If you have an adventurous spirit, then you can often find lines of work that should interest you. Some have a danger element. Others let you do something a little different every day, so you hopefully won’t ever feel bored.
For instance, you might become a process server. Process servers must follow a rigid set of rules, but you can also usually expect each day to look a little different.
How can you become a process server, though? Can you make a living doing this kind of work exclusively? What danger elements must you think about if you’re going to do this for a living?
We will attempt to answer all of those questions in the following article.
What Does the Process Server Job Entail?
A process server works for the court system. If you get into this kind of work, then you will need to deliver papers to individuals you must track down somewhere out in the world.
Usually, you will go to their house and give them the papers there. The court will often give you their most recent address.
However, sometimes, when you visit that house, you will find that the person moved at some point. Maybe you have a fairly nomadic individual on your hands who sometimes vacates their primary residence with very little notice and disappears into the night.
If so, you might have to play detective a little. While that might irritate some process servers, others actually like it. You may have to talk to family members, friends, and neighbors. You get to put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and track down the fugitive.
What Papers Do You Deliver?
Many times, you’re delivering legal documents, or attempting their delivery. You might have papers that state this person’s spouse wants a divorce. The papers may also say that this person’s ex wants full custody if they have kids and share parental rights.
You might have papers that say someone plans to sue the paper’s recipient. You may have documents that state the person must appear in court because they’re a material witness at an upcoming trial.
You often won’t have a chance to read the papers. They’re usually a complete mystery. You may wonder about a paper’s content, but you should not attempt to read it. The content doesn’t impact the job you have to do, so it’s ultimately irrelevant.
How Can You Become a Process Server?
If you want to become a process server, you can often talk to a court representative about that. Usually, you must be at least 18. You must have a valid driver’s license. You also usually need to pass a background check.
You must also go through any state-required training. That often means going through a few classes. They’re not very difficult or strenuous.
You will give the court your fingerprints. You will obtain a bond. You must then fill out any paperwork the job requires, typically at the courthouse or county clerk’s office.
During the training, you will learn about proper documentation procedures. You will learn about how you can and can’t approach a defendant. You might also learn about some of the best research methods if you can’t immediately find the person in question and you have to go into detective mode.
Can You Make a Decent Living Doing This Sort of Work?
You might be able to work exclusively as a process server and support yourself, but most people do it on the side instead. They consider it gig work. They may not have constant assignments, which means forced downtime if you don’t have any other sources of income.
However, you might make close to $50K on the high end if you have steady work as a process server. That’s the approximate amount in New York State, for-instance, though this will vary depending on where you live. You might expect to make up to about $25 per hour.
Most people who get into this profession do so when they are younger. The job requires a lot of leg work, so older individuals might shy away from it for that reason.
What Danger Does This Job Involve?
Earlier, we mentioned that this job sometimes comes with a danger element. If you’re good at your work, you may never get into a situation where someone threatens you.
Keep in mind, though, that you’re seldom bringing someone good news. If they suspect that you’re bringing them papers telling them that their ex wants a divorce or they want sole custody of the kids, they may want to take out their anger in an illogical way.
You’re the messenger, and that potentially puts you in the line of fire. Though you’re not doing it intentionally, maybe your arrival with papers saying this person’s spouse wants a divorce culminates a long and painful disentanglement process.
If you walk up to the wrong person on the wrong day and serve them papers, they might grab a weapon and chase you down the street with it. That does not happen often, but it’s always possible.
Keep in mind that you’re dealing with this person face to face. You’re not on the other end of the phone giving them bad news.
What Can You Do to Stay Safe at This Job?
To stay as safe as possible while on the job, you might bring someone along who can act as an eyewitness. Maybe the person to whom you’re delivering papers will think twice if they’re not alone with you.
If you suspect this person has a temper, you might also give them the papers in a public place. You can usually do that, assuming you can track the target down and learn their schedule.
You might give them the papers at their place of work. If they have lots of coworkers around, they likely won’t fly off the handle.
Not everyone will want this job, but there’s an excitement element that some people enjoy.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.