Warning Orders & Service by Newspaper
In most cases, we know where to find the opposing party to serve them. We typically serve them at work or at home. In rare cases, we can’t locate them anywhere! So we serve them in the newspaper by publishing a “warning order.” How does this work? I’ll show you!
What is a warning order?
A warning order is a legal notice published in the newspaper, warning a party to a lawsuit that if they do not answer the lawsuit that a judgment will be entered against them.
How do you get one?
First, you have to have the judge’s permission. To get that, you have to file an affidavit, swearing that you have made a “diligent inquiry” into the other party’s location and that their “whereabouts are unknown.”
What is a “diligent inquiry”?
A diligent inquiry means that you have really tried to actually find the other party. You have called their last known phone number. You have emailed their last known email address (if any). You have looked for them on Google and Facebook. You have reached out to friends and family to try to find them. You must have tried ALL OR MOST of these things, and you still couldn’t find them.
If you know their city and state, but not their exact address, you may have to hire a private investigator to try to find their address.
What else do I have to do?
After you have the judge’s permission to serve them by newspaper, you also have to send a copy of the paperwork to the person’s last known address, wherever that might be. We will send it to them by certified mail in the hopes that they get it and sign for it. Yes, you still have to send the mail even if you know for sure that they no longer live there.
How much does it cost?
The costs vary slightly but usually the newspaper notice costs about $115 and the certified mail costs about $15. A background check by a private investigator costs about $25.
Any other questions?
Just ask! We are here to help. If you need to serve someone by newspaper, be sure to follow the proper steps and let us know if you have any questions.