Locate Defendant for Service of Process: Find Defendants for Legal Service
Can’t find the defendant to serve them? Whether they’ve moved, are evading service, or you simply don’t have a current address, professional skip tracing locates defendants so your case can proceed. Don’t let service delays stall your litigation.
📌 Key Takeaways
- Skip tracing finds current addresses when defendants have moved
- Professional searches access databases unavailable to the public
- Results typically available within 24-72 hours
- Locating defendants before service attempts saves time and money
- Works for civil litigation, collections, family law, and more
- Alternative service may be available if defendant truly can’t be found
📑 Table of Contents
⚖️ Why Defendant Location Matters
Why is locating defendants important? Service of process is a constitutional requirement—defendants must receive notice of legal actions against them before courts can proceed. Without proper service at a valid address, your case stalls. Judgments obtained without proper service can be challenged and overturned.
Unfortunately, addresses on file are often outdated. People move frequently—Census data shows roughly 27 million Americans relocate annually. The address from a contract, prior correspondence, or court records may be months or years old. Defendants who anticipate litigation may deliberately move to make service difficult.
Failed service attempts waste time and money. Each failed attempt costs process server fees and delays your case. Locating the defendant’s current address before attempting service is more efficient than multiple attempts at outdated addresses.
📋 Common Situations
Defendant location services help in many litigation scenarios:
Civil Litigation
Plaintiffs filing lawsuits need defendant addresses. Contract disputes, personal injury, business litigation—all require locating defendants for proper service.
Debt Collection
Creditors and collection agencies need current addresses to serve collection lawsuits. Debtors who move to avoid obligations must still be located.
Family Law
Divorce filings, custody modifications, and child support enforcement require serving the other party—even when they’ve left and don’t want to be found.
Evictions
When tenants abandon properties but leave belongings or owe back rent, landlords may need to locate them for service of unlawful detainer or money judgment claims.
Small Claims Court
Small claims litigants often don’t have legal resources to locate defendants. Skip tracing provides the current address needed for service.
Post-Judgment Collection
Judgment creditors pursuing collection need current addresses for post-judgment discovery orders and enforcement actions.
🔍 How Skip Tracing Works
Skip tracing uses multiple database sources and investigative techniques to locate people:
Initial Information Gathering
We collect all available information about the defendant: name, last known address, date of birth, Social Security Number if known, employer, phone numbers, vehicle information. The more data points, the better the results.
Database Searches
We search multiple proprietary databases including credit headers (showing current address from credit applications), utility connections, vehicle registrations, property records, and aggregated public records. These sources often have more current information than publicly accessible records.
Cross-Reference & Verify
Results are cross-referenced across multiple sources to confirm accuracy. We distinguish between people with similar names using DOB, address history, and other identifiers. The goal is verified current information—not just a list of possible matches.
Deliver Results
You receive the defendant’s current address, available phone numbers, and other contact information. Results are ready for service—no guesswork about whether the address is current.
📋 Information Needed
The more information you can provide, the faster and more accurate the search:
| Information | Importance | How It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Full Legal Name | Essential | Basic identifier for all searches |
| Last Known Address | Very High | Starting point; links to address history |
| Date of Birth | High | Distinguishes from others with same name |
| Social Security Number | High | Definitive identifier; links to credit data |
| Phone Numbers (even old) | Helpful | Links to current records; subscriber data |
| Employer Name | Helpful | Alternative service location; employment records |
| Vehicle Information | Helpful | DMV records often have current address |
| Known Associates | Sometimes | May know current whereabouts |
💡 Check Your Existing Records
Contracts, credit applications, prior correspondence, and court filings often contain identifying information beyond just the name and old address. Review these documents for DOB, SSN, phone numbers, employer, and other details that improve search success.
📬 What You Get
Our defendant location report provides:
- Current address: Verified as the most recent address on file in our databases
- Address history: Prior addresses showing movement patterns
- Phone numbers: Current and historical phone numbers (when available)
- Employer information: Current or recent employment (when available)
- Identity verification: Confirmation we’ve found the correct person
What This Enables
With the defendant’s current address, you can:
- Send process server with confidence to the right location
- Avoid wasted attempts at outdated addresses
- Proceed with your case without service delays
- Use workplace address if home service proves difficult
- Support alternative service motions if needed
❓ When Defendants Can’t Be Found
Despite best efforts, some defendants genuinely can’t be located—they’ve left no trail, are using false identities, or have left the country. When skip tracing doesn’t produce results, options include:
Alternative Service Methods
Courts allow alternative service when defendants can’t be found after diligent efforts:
- Service by publication: Publishing notice in newspapers
- Substituted service: Leaving with adult at last known residence
- Service by posting: Affixing to property
- Electronic service: Email or social media (some jurisdictions)
Documenting Due Diligence
To obtain court approval for alternative service, you must demonstrate diligent efforts to locate and serve the defendant. Our skip trace reports document the searches performed, supporting your motion for alternative service.
⚠️ Don’t Give Up Too Easily
Courts scrutinize alternative service motions. Before seeking publication or other alternatives, ensure genuine efforts have been made. A single failed service attempt and no skip trace won’t satisfy diligent effort requirements. Thorough skip tracing and multiple service attempts build the record needed for alternative service approval.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Professional skip tracing is the most effective method. Skip tracers search databases including credit headers, utility connections, vehicle registrations, and property records to find current addresses. Results typically arrive within 24-72 hours. Alternatively, check DMV records, voter registration, property records, and social media, though these are less comprehensive than professional services.
Skip tracing finds people who have moved by searching current data sources. Even if someone moved recently, utility connections, mail forwarding, vehicle registration updates, and other records often reflect their new address. Professional services access databases that aggregate this information and provide current addresses.
Standard skip tracing for defendant location costs $129 flat rate and includes database searches and address verification. More complex cases involving multiple addresses, evasive subjects, or minimal starting information may require additional investigation. The cost is typically far less than failed service attempts at wrong addresses.
Standard skip trace results typically return within 24-72 hours. Rush services are available for urgent court deadlines. Complex cases—common names, minimal information, subjects who have moved multiple times—may take longer. We provide timeline estimates based on available information.
At minimum: full name and any last known address. Additional helpful information includes date of birth, Social Security Number, phone numbers (even old), employer name, vehicle information, and known associates. The more information provided, the faster and more accurate the results.
If skip tracing doesn’t locate the defendant, we document the searches performed. This documentation supports alternative service motions—showing the court that diligent efforts were made. Options like service by publication or posting may become available. We advise on next steps based on your jurisdiction’s rules.
Yes. Our database searches cover all 50 states. We can locate defendants regardless of where they’ve moved. If the defendant has left your state, you’ll need to arrange service in their current state (potentially through a process server there), but we provide the address wherever they are.
📍 Need to Locate a Defendant?
Professional skip tracing finds defendants when you don’t have a current address. Fast results, nationwide coverage, 20+ years experience. $129 flat rate.
