Serving someone who's avoiding service in Texas

Step one: attempts that actually find people

Most "evasive" defendants are just predictable people we haven't caught at the right time. So we don't knock three times in one afternoon. Our included attempts are spread over at least two different days, at different times, with at least one evening or Saturday — and a second attempt on the same day only counts if it's four or more hours later. Every attempt is GPS-stamped and photographed.

• Early-bird attempt (+$35) — one attempt between 6:00 and 7:30 AM, Monday–Saturday, before they leave for work. It counts as one of your three and covers the morning block a judge likes to see.
• Workplace serves — often the fastest, calmest option. Tell us the employer and shift.
• Stakeouts ($60/hr) — for the defendant who only appears at predictable moments.
• Locate assist (+$65) — if the address may be dead, we research a better one using public records, county data and what you tell us, as part of the serve (we don't do standalone skip tracing).
• Your intel — photos, vehicles and plates, schedules, social media. The intake is built to collect it, and it's the single biggest factor in a fast serve.

Step two: the due-diligence affidavit

If personal service still fails, Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 106(b) lets the court authorize another method — but only on a motion supported by a sworn statement showing the defendant's usual home or business address (or another place they can probably be found) and the specific facts of the attempts made. Thin, vague affidavits get denied.

Ours is built from the GPS log: every date, time, location, observation (lights on, cars present, someone inside, what they said), and photos that back it up. That's the due-diligence affidavit — $45 — ready for your attorney or for you to attach to the motion.

Step three: substituted service

Once the judge signs the order, service is carried out exactly as the order says — commonly by leaving the papers with anyone over 16 at the address, or securely attaching them to the front door. We execute it, document it with photos and GPS, and return a sworn affidavit of substituted service — $75.

If the defendant lives online more than at the address, Rule 106(b)(2) also lets a judge authorize service by email, social media or other technology. We build the evidence package that shows the account is theirs and active, and we carry out and document the electronic service once ordered.

Price summary

Payment-first, no surprises: a human reviews every request before anything happens. Once it's approved you get a secure pay link — nothing starts until it's paid, and nothing is ever charged if we can't take the job. No invoicing, no payment plans.

What not to do

• Don't try to serve them yourself — a party can never serve in Texas (Tex. R. Civ. P. 103), and it can backfire badly.
• Don't text them the papers and call it service. Electronic service only counts when a judge orders it.
• Don't wait. Every week of silence pushes your case back.

Questions people ask

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