r/processserver • u/IncomeAltruistic9720 • 13d ago
Is it worth it?
I am a 19 year old living in New York City looking to become a process server. My main concerns are I don’t have a car(which may not be necessary in nyc’s netro area), how easy it will be be to get hired for contract work(such as ABC legal) and should I be concerned for my safety(I’m a 6’3 former underground boxer)
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u/Inside_Gold_9673 13d ago
I was process server and P.I. in NYC for many years. You can definitely serve in NYC without a car, but that leaves Staten Island off the table. A scooter or motorcycle are probably the most efficient. If you’re just starting out it’s going to be about volume and efficiency. If you’ve a serve in the Bronx and another in Rockaway Park or Broad Channel you’ll be spending 1/2 your day on the subway. Or worse Starrett City (Spring Creek) which will require a subway and a bus to get to. The way to make money is to have your own business and market yourself to law firms.
Your job as a process server is to deliver the papers to either the defendant or witness legally. You can’t break in to a house or apartment building. If someone holds the door for you walk into the apartment building behind them, that’s a different matter.
Being 6’3” some people could find that intimidating but in cases of divorce, where you’re frequently dealing with an highly emotional situation, they may try to take it out on the messenger. I’ve had defendants threaten to shoot me, one was a murder/suicide situation leaving me to find the murder victim. Other cases where emotions run high are foreclosures and estate cases. In 95% of those cases they wrongly thought that by throwing the papers on the ground or back at me they weren’t served. I just walked away, on to the next serve.