How can a process server avoid conflicts of interest?

• A. Do not serve against close relatives or parties with a direct interest; disclose conflicts.
• B. Always accept fees from the party being served.
• C. Serve only in the early morning hours.
• D. Avoid serving more than one defendant per week.

Answer: (A)

Maintaining impartiality is essential for a process server. To avoid conflicts of interest, the server should not take assignments against close relatives or anyone who has a direct stake in the outcome, and they should disclose any conflicts to the client or supervising attorney so someone else can handle the service if needed. This keeps the service process fair and credible and protects the integrity of the notice, reducing the risk that service could be challenged later.

Taking fees from the party being served introduces a financial incentive that could bias how the service is performed, which undermines objectivity. The time of day or limiting how many defendants are served in a given period doesn’t address conflicts of interest and can unnecessarily hinder duties.