Someone is threatening to sue you. How worried should you be?<\/span><\/p>\n It depends in large part on why the person is threatening to sue you, but if you do think a lawsuit might be imminent, it helps to know a little about being served.<\/span><\/p>\n The legal process of being served can be complicated, so read on for 10 things worth knowing about getting served.<\/span><\/p>\n Lots of people say things like “I’m going to sue!” Most people don’t actually go through with hiring a lawyer to draw up a lawsuit.<\/span><\/p>\n Threatening to sue is quick and easy. It’s a way for someone to blow off steam when they’re upset about something.<\/span><\/p>\n The legal system doesn’t move fast unless you’re appearing on Judge Judy. IN fact, the legal process is designed to be <\/span>slow and deliberate<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n If a process server appears with legal papers, then you’re being sued. Someone yelling, “You’ll hear from my attorney!” isn’t the same thing.<\/span><\/p>\n They can’t serve you legal papers if they can’t find you, right? True, but hiding from a court case isn’t as easy as people want it to be.<\/span><\/p>\n It can work for a little while if you almost never go out in public or run away anytime someone looks in your general direction. But if you want to know what happens if you avoid being served court papers, the answer is usually something like “They find an alternate means of service.”<\/span><\/p>\n Posting a public notice in a local newspaper is a common tactic if all other attempts at service to fail. If the person being sued doesn’t see the notice in the newspaper, the lawsuit can proceed without them, which often means a default judgment.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s much better to accept the papers and try to figure out what’s going on.<\/span><\/p>\n Don’t expect a process server to say, “You got served” while handing you an envelope full of legal documents. They’re more likely to say something basic like “These are legal documents for you.”<\/span><\/p>\n Process servers want to do their job more than they want to say something witty or dramatic. <\/span><\/p>\n They also don’t know how you’ll react to being served, so it’s in their best interest not to say anything that might provoke a bad reaction.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s possible you’ll hear it, but it’s by no means a requirement. The service is still legitimate either way.<\/span><\/p>\n Don’t click on an email with a subject line like “Notice of lawsuit.” The service of process won’t be routed through your Yahoo or Gmail account.<\/span><\/p>\n1. A threat to sue isn’t service<\/b><\/h2>\n
2. Evasion isn’t a good legal strategy<\/b><\/h2>\n
3. It won’t look like it does on TV<\/b><\/h2>\n
4. Legitimate process servers don’t e-mail or demand cash<\/b><\/h2>\n