Custody & Kidnapping

Depending on the state, there may be different ways that custody papers are served. If they are served through the mail, sometimes a judge may allow a person to send it to the other parent’s last known address, even if the parent is no longer living there. Other times, a judge may allow the petitioner to mail it to the other parent’s closest relative or to his/her workplace if those addresses are known. If the custody papers are to be served in person according to the state’s laws, perhaps there could be a possibility that when someone is looking to serve a defendant in a custody case, s/he can be served at another location aside from his/her home address. For example, it may be possible to serve someone where s/he works, a family member’s house, or somewhere he/she “hangs out” or goes to regularly. Additionally, if the person trying to serve the papers has friend in common with the other parent, or is in touch with any of the other parent’s relatives, the he/she may decide to ask if they know how to find the other parent. I do not know how custody papers are served in your state but hopefully a lawyer can clarify this.

Sometimes, if the other parent is not served by the next court date, it is possible that a person may be able to ask the judge to extend the time to serve the defendant. However, in asking for more time, a person may generally have to give a detailed account of what the person has done so far to serve the other parent. For example, the person trying to serve the other parent may write down the time, date, and actions he/she took each time he/she tried to perform service. Again, I’m not sure if this would apply in your situation, however a lawyer may be able to clarify this for you.

Here is a link with information on custody in your state: LINK and here is a link for legal services:LINK