<P> Service of process in cases filed in the United States district courts is governed by Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure . In England and Wales, the rules governing service of documents are contained within Part 6 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 . In Canada the rules vary from province to province and can be governed differently depending on what the type of case (i.e. family, small claims, criminal, etc .). </P> <P> Service on a defendant who resides in a country outside the jurisdiction of the Court must comply with special procedures prescribed under the Hague Service Convention, if the recipient's country is a signatory . Service on defendants in many South American countries and some other countries is effected through the letter rogatory process . Where a defendant's whereabouts are unknown, the Court may permit service by publication, usually in a newspaper . </P> <P> In the past in many countries, people did not have the right to know that there were legal proceedings against them . In some cases, they would only find out when magistrates showed up with the sheriff and seized their property, sometimes throwing them into debtor's prison until their debts were paid . The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution prohibit the federal and state governments from depriving any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law . Therefore, the process server is "serving" the recipient with notice of their constitutional right to due process of the law . </P> <P> In ancient times, the service of a summons was considered a royal act that had serious consequences . It was a summons to come to the King's Court and to respond to the demand of a loyal subject . In ancient Persia, failure to respond to the King's summons meant a sentence of death . Today the penalty for ignoring a summons may be entry of a default money judgment that can subsequently be enforced . </P>

Who is the person that serves legal documents