Service of documents - France
Service of legal documents originating from non EU Countries is, in a majority of cases, governed by the Hague Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters. Service of documents from or to a Member State of the European Union is governed by Council Regulation 1348/2000 of 29 May 2000 on the service of judicial and extra-judicial documents in civil or commercial matters. French law requires that certain documents should be served on the other party by a bailiff. The bailiff, who is a Legal Officer, has a monopoly on formal service. This monopoly is explained by security considerations connected to the importance of the procedure. Other documents may be served by ordinary procedures, i.e : - By post, at the responsibility of the postal service; or - By being handed to the addressee by the clerk of the court, against a signature or receipt. In general terms, the National Chamber of Bailiffs is competent to receive documents coming from overseas. For starters, the French Central Authority system can be excruciatingly slow– historically, it takes up to three to five months for the Proof of Service to be returned. We offer a fast, effective professional alternative for process service in France. The EC regulation and the Hague Convention acknowledge that service can be carried out by other means, via a “competent person” in the France. We provide for service via private process servers, throughout France and Monaco. Our clients receive the bailiff's original Proof of Service plus our sworn Affidavit of Service, in English, detailing the date and method of service, and showing compliance with article 10 of the Hague Service Convention or article 15 of EC Regulation 1393/2007. France Process Service was established in 2007 by Fabien Cordiez, a dual-qualified Franco-British lawyer in legal practice since 1994. Since then, France Process Service has obtained Hague and EC Certificates of Service and in hundreds of cases. FPS Cordiez Avocats & Solicitors 12, rue de l'Ancienne Madeleine 13100 Aix-en-Provence France Tel. +33 486 688 968 UK: 0203-445-0720 IRL: 01-431-1301 US/CAN: 347-746-8720 Email: fc@france-process-service.com Skype: fabien.cordiez.solicitor http://www.france-process-service.com