Many judges and bailiffs are often so far removed from the field work that goes into private investigations and process serving, that many of them sometimes forget just how dangerous those legal professions can be. Thus, many process servers experience chastising and berating by some judges and bailiffs about the prices they charge to go deliver court papers to defendants/respondents. They will gladly talk over and attempt to dictate to process servers and private detectives, falsely telling their clients they are, “. . . charging too much” for their legal services. This is highly inappropriate and unprofessional on so many different levels, and judges, bailiffs, court clerks, and others who believe they somehow “know better” than process servers in field must stop talking and sit down.
Table of Contents
A Background on the Violence Against Process Servers in Oklahoma:
Granted, while the internet is full of videos showing wayward defendants who have attacked judges and deputies, these incidents are rare and occur less commonly and with less fatality than private investigators and especially process servers experience. Plus, whereas judges have deputies there to protect them, process servers and private eyes have no one immediately available. Indeed, attacking a process server is a mere misdemeanor in Oklahoma, whereas attacking a court clerk, judge, bailiff, sheriff’s deputy, police officer, or juror is a felony.
Even the best process servers have noted that some police officers and deputies rarely intervene and charge defendants/respondents with crimes for attacking process servers, because they often enjoy the fact that it happens and wish they could have done the same thing to the officer of the court who was just trying to earn a living. Some police officers have themselves become the recipients of divorce papers, child custody items, small claims lawsuits, etc., and they did not like seeing a process server on their doorstep, either. By failing to intervene in the violence, they get to live vicariously through the harmful actions of criminals they secretly identify with.
While many process servers in Yukon, Oklahoma must carry unfortunate news that can have negative consequences for the recipients of the legal paperwork, the officers of the court have nothing to do with it other than delivering the paperwork. So, attacking and especially killing the messenger is not okay and will not make the legal matter magically disappear. In fact, it will only worsen it with additional civil and criminal liability.
Even if law enforcement officers do come to the aid of process servers and private detectives in OKC, they can take a long time to get there. Most police officers show up to help after the situation has already become dire and the defendant has injured or otherwise attacked the legal professional. Indeed, many television programs poke fun at law enforcement officers for showing up too late and doing too little.
Sometimes criminals even attack sheriffs’ deputies who are out serving eviction papers and other types of legal paperwork. In Oklahoma, there have been multiple needless deaths of decent law enforcement occur on occasion, and their deaths have rocked the communities. Thus, deputies are not exempt from the violence and should also be more supportive of their fellow legal professionals.
The True Business Costs of Running a Process Serving Company and/or a Private Detective Agency:
As if the inherent associated risks of process serving and private investigations were not bad enough, all small business owners who have operated a company for a long time quickly become aware of just how many business expenses exist which reduce gross earnings down to an often much smaller net profit. Business expenses are an unfortunate reality of owning and operating a business, and judges, bailiffs, and court clerks who have never owned a small business who believe they are somehow “more enlightened” about how much a process server in Oklahoma should earn are grossly mistaken. So, high and mighty geezers need to be silent, mind their own business, and allow their haughty selves to enjoy their government pensions and benefits.
For real small business owners, such as those who do process serving, private investigations, there are tons of expenses that county, municipal, and federal judges and other court staff need not pay. This is because the taxpayers cover the costs for them, from buildings and equipment to a host of pay and benefits. Thus, some of the expenses that owners of Oklahoma process serving companies and private investigation agencies in Oklahoma City include, but are by no means limited to, the following:
Advertising Costs:
The competition among owners of legal services companies, such as private investigation agencies and polygraph examination companies, gets fiercer every year. Costs to advertise on Google Ads, via billboards, television, etc., increase yearly and sometimes daily. These continued expenses cut deeply into profits, especially as national and even international private investigation agencies and process serving companies continue to infiltrate into local markets where smaller and statewide companies have historically operated. Advertising is one of the single largest expenses for small business owners working in the legal field.
Professional Licensing:
The cost to become a process server or private investigator also continues to rise. As of the date of this publication, a brand-new/initial process server license for the first year can cost about four hundred dollars, with the licensing fee, process server bond, publication, and passport photos. This is a hard pill for many new process servers to swallow, especially if they live in small towns where there is little work in their professional legal field.
Sheriffs’ deputies need not pay for a special process server license. In fact, the government pays them with our public’s tax dollars to help them train and receive a police commission. Once again, whereas the taxpayers bear the burden for these expenses for a sheriff’s deputies training and commissioning falls upon the public, whereas private process servers and private detectives must shoulder all their own expenses. These added expenses make distasteful and unprofessional chastisement by haughty, disconnected judges, bailiffs, and court clerks suffering from the Dunning-Krueger Effect akin to adding insult to injury.
Owners of private investigation agencies must also obtain special agency licenses, or they must work under someone who does who carries expensive liability insurance to cover any egregious mistakes. The added need for a PI agency license is another expense that also requires additional fees, licensing, and other legal requirements. Once again, these costs of doing business continue to whittle away at the gross earnings surveillance private investigators, process servers, mediators, notaries, and polygraph examiners earn.
Continuing Education Classes:
While process servers in Oklahoma sadly must never – at least of the date of this publication – need to take any kind of helpful, educational classes or receive training prior to, during, or upon licensure renewal, no private investigator is exempt from those requirements. Indeed, a criminal private investigation agency must continue to get initial training as a civil and criminal private detective, and then every three years before they renew their PI licenses, they must undergo additional continuing education classes.
These classes cost extra funds that these legal professionals must cover the costs of, out of their own bank accounts missing out on work in the meantime. In contrast, government workers often find their governmental employers covering their educational costs and will usually even pay them to attend.
Car Maintenance & Repairs:
While sheriffs’ deputies receive patrol cars and other transportation vehicles on the government’s dime while out serving court papers. Well, that must be nice for them, but process servers in Tulsa, Oklahoma and cheating spouse private investigators must provide their own vehicles. Sure, they get to deduct the mileage from their taxes, but the amount of money they save seldom adds up to the true cost of the vehicle they are losing, the extra vehicle repairs, etc.
Utilities:
Once again, the government, vis-à-vis taxpayers, will cover the costs of utilities like electricity, water, gas, etc., via taxpayers’ “generous contributions” to the wellbeing of their communities. On the other hand, process servers, child custody private investigators, small claims mediators, and polygraph examiners must front their own costs and pay for their own utilities.
Staff/Contractors:
Another often huge expense for many business owners is staff costs. The amount of money owners of private detective agencies in Enid, OK and other legal professionals must shell out to fairly compensate those who work for them can really add up quickly. This is even truer for business owners who wish to be good people and provide a fair wage or salary so their fellow humans may adequately support their families.
Loan Interest:
With all the office building purchases, vehicles for traveling to and from locations, office supplies and other equipment, and small business loans for cash flow purposes, etc., interest on the purchases can add up quickly. Indeed, most small business owners are not financially wealthy enough to pay for all the start-up costs in full when they first begin their new businesses, so most must take out loans to get started and must pay the concomitant interest.
Office Rent/Mortgage:
While it is true that many small business owners, like process servers in Del City, OK and immigration private investigators at the best private detective agencies are legally allowed to work out of their homes, doing so greatly reduces their level of trust and professionalism. Clients feel better about going to a stable, professional office where degrees and certifications, etc., are displayed on the walls.
Many Oklahoma process servers and private investigators in Tulsa, Oklahoma end up renting and/or purchasing offices, thereby taking on added expenses that reduce the net amount of money they earn. They may even have to pay interest and insurance as well, let alone utilities, security devices, and repairs. This is why judges, bailiffs, court clerks, and anyone else who believes a process server in Stillwater or a private detective in Broken Arrow, OK is “charging too much” should sit down and be quiet.
Vehicle, Office, Home, Life, Health, Dental, Vision, & Disability Insurance:
Whereas government employees receive benefits on the public’s dime, such as health care, dental care, etc., every independent contractor like process servers, divorce private detectives, polygraph examiners, mobile notaries, etc., must cover the full cost of their own benefits. This is why these legal professionals in the private arena must charge more than those in the public sector do.
Fraudulent Charges/Credit & Debit Card Chargebacks:
Anyone who has worked in the private business sector for long knows all too well about chargebacks from bad customers and scammers. Credit card processing companies charge dispute fees whenever a customer initially disputes a charge, never deduct their own initial fees if the business owner loses a dispute and charges the small business owner additional fees if they choose to counter the dispute.
Additionally, it seems as though credit card processing companies seldom side with the business owner. Instead, a good majority of the time the choose the side of their paying customers, because that is where they make their money. They do not want them to become angry and cancel their credit card. So, disputes rob business owners of hard-earned money, even if they did the work.
For these reasons, judges, bailiffs, court clerks, and everyone else who does not work as a small business owner in the legal fields of polygraph tests, process serving, mediations, civil and criminal private investigations, etc., must remain silent and keep their unwanted opinions to themselves. These individuals must especially not say these detrimental things about a process server’s pay in front of clients, jurors, and others in the courtroom, because it can damage the legal professional’s business and overall reputation.
Webmaster Fees & Social Media:
Since the internet is the main source of advertising in modern times, it helps for process servers in Bethany and infidelity private investigators to hire a webmaster to help manage both their websites and social media accounts. This is a luxury that many newer, less financially wealthy small business owners cannot always afford, but to show up in search results, having a decent, resolute webmaster has become increasingly important.
Professional Equipment:
Anyone who has ever chosen to work as a process server or private investigator can certainly attest about just how expensive some of the equipment can be to perform your basic job functions correctly. Some of the equipment that many private investigation agencies have and use can include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Level IV Bulletproof Vests
- Vehicles
- Computers
- Cell Phones
- Protective Helmets
- iPads
- Office Furniture
- Firearms/Tasers/Pepper Gel/Stun Guns
- Security Systems for the Office
- Office Supplies – Paper, Pens, Pencils, Folders
- Surveillance Drones
- Binoculars
- Video Cameras
- Bug Sweeping Devices
- GPS Tracking Devices
- Hats, Clothing, etc.
- Phone Chargers & Backup Batteries
The items we listed above are just a few of the many types of office and other types of professional equipment that many process servers and private detectives must purchase and use regularly to properly complete their job duties. Everyone reading this needs to fully understand that this is not meant to serve as a complete listing of all professional equipment that these legal professionals must purchase. Just keep in mind though that every piece of professional equipment does cost money, and buying them reduces the sexual assault private detective’s income.
Traffic Tickets:
Sadly, traffic tickets sometimes become a part of the expenses that licensed Oklahoma private detectives and process servers near me must sometimes bear. The more one drives, the more opportunities that traffic tickets, even for accidental violations, can occur. This is especially true for child custody private detectives and surveillance private eyes who are in hot pursuit of people of interest, because sometimes they must drive through red lights to avoid losing track of the individual.
Automobile Accident Costs:
The more these legal pros drive, the higher the opportunity for automobile accidents. This is especially true when surveillance private detectives and process servers must go through traffic lights or drive at high speeds, so they do not lose someone. This can sometimes lead to additional vehicle accidents.
PikePass/Toll Fees:
PikePass and other toll fees are yet another consideration that each process server and divorce private investigator must factor into what they charge their clients. These constant expenses help drive up the costs of doing business and drastically reduce the net pay each process server in Choctaw, Oklahoma, and private detective in Edmond, OK receives.
Taxes – Sales, Property, etc.
Everyone must pay taxes, but small business owners also often shoulder an undue burden with these, because they must purchase additional office buildings, vehicles, etc. While it is true that legal professionals who are contract workers can and often do deduct their business expenses from their gross income to reduce their overall tax liability, the amount of reduced taxes does not fully cover the cost of the purchases.
Retirement Plans/Savings:
Unlike government employees like sheriffs’ deputies who end up with retirement plans and the ability to opt into a variety of insurance plans as they get older, legal professionals like process servers, missing persons private investigators, mediators, Oklahoma polygraphists, etc., are most often 10-99 contract workers, running their own businesses. They do not receive retirement plans or contributions from others. So, they must therefore factor in money into the fees they charge clients to help contribute money to personal retirement plans and/or real estate investment opportunities for later in life.
Vacations/Time Off Work:
While government employees receive paid time off, such as mental health days, sick leave, vacation time, etc., private process servers, kidnapping private detectives, and other contract employees who own small businesses in Oklahoma receive no such benefits. Thus, when bailiffs and judges like the otherwise sweet and nice Trent Pipes out of the Oklahoma County District Courthouse chastise process servers in Edmond for “overcharging” clients, it is him speaking out of ignorance because he has a cushy, high-paying job and has never worked as a process server in Oklahoma City or a criminal private investigator near me.
Emergency Funds & Financial Liquidity:
Everyone should always keep a special emergency fund in place to help cover unexpected costs that sometimes arise in life. This is even truer and more important for small business owners, because they must keep a larger supply of money on hand for a healthier cash flow for their business. By having this reserve, they can adapt better to market changes and fluctuations that are a normal part of small business operations
Sheriffs’ deputies and other government employees have their own budgets from public funds. They need not stash away extra personal money to operate the sheriff’s department. Thus, here again is a prime example of the financial advantage that postal workers and deputies have that other legal professionals in the private sector, such as Oklahoma City process servers and civil private investigators, lack.
Other Methods of Service of Process are Much Less Effective:
Another important consideration when comparing the work of process servers to those of sheriffs’ deputies is the quality of work. There are several key differences that ignorant judges, bailiffs, and court clerks conveniently leave out when lambasting a process server’s fee amount. Indeed, some of the biggest disadvantages of hiring a sheriff’s deputy over a process server in Oklahoma include, but are not limited to, the following limitations:
Deputies Go Out in Uniform & Scare Defendants Away:
Unlike process servers in Midwest City, OK, deputies wear special police uniforms and approach all defendants with papers in hand, wearing a badge and gun. For anyone who is suspicious, those with warrants, or even those who just do not like cops, this is a bad situation. Indeed, many defendants/respondents refuse to open the door, opting instead to view the front porch at an office or residence via a CCTV camera.
Process Servers Make More Attempts Than Sheriffs’ Deputies:
Every process server in Ardmore at our private detective agency must make up to four attempts at one address for the arranged flat fee. While they may achieve valid service on the first or second attempt or may peer in the window and see the location is completely empty/vacant and not have to return, they may need to make up to four full attempts on each defendant. Our legal team really goes out of its way to try to ensure good service of process. So, unless the defendant/respondent is actively avoiding our process servers in Altus, OK, most times they achieve success within the four attempts.
Sheriffs’ deputies often make only one or two attempts, maybe three, if clients are extremely fortunate. So, sure, deputies may charge less, but they make fewer attempts. Thus, services with cheaper pricing are not always better, because they make less effort to try to complete the job assignment. Since they make fewer attempts on service than their process server counterparts, it is likely that clients will have to pay deputies for a new round of attempts more frequently than they might have to do when they instead wisely choose to hire a process server.
Deputies Do Not Do Process Serving on a Rush/Expedited Basis:
Sometimes process serving clients need the job completed within an hour or less. If available and for the right price, the process servers near me at our Oklahoma private detective agency can drop what they are doing and will rush right on over to try to serve the person, company, or governmental agency. Good luck trying to get a sheriff’s deputy to do that!
Unlike Deputies, Process Servers Also Serve Court Papers at Night, Weekends, & on Holidays:
For the right fee, a process server in Lawton can go out and try to serve someone at any time of the day or night. This could mean the PI goes out and lies in wait for someone to arrive at 2:00 AM as they get home from a trucking job.
A sheriff’s deputy, on the other hand, only attempts service of process Monday through Friday during normal working hours, which can also include evening hours. But as evenings turns into nights and weekdays change to weekends, deputies’ efforts cease. This makes them less effective than process servers, due to their limited work hours.
Many Deputies Fail to Take Measures to Confirm the Identity of the Home/Office Owner:
Deputies also often fail to ask people they speak with at houses, offices, etc., who deny they are the respondent the law enforcement officer is seeking to deliver court documents for to show valid government identification. Most simply take the word of the person and walk away, writing it up as invalid service. This complete lack of due diligence is extremely detrimental to plaintiffs in legal cases, because it causes unnecessary delays and relays false information about the individual’s whereabouts.
To confirm someone’s identity, process server from our private investigation agency in Chickasha, OK, will do mailbox checks, will inquire with neighbors, run nationwide skip traces, do forwarding mail checks and post office box checks, and will also ask suspected defendants/respondents to show a state or federal photo ID. Of course, a process server in Moore cannot force people to show proper identification, but they can and will be sure to ask.
When a person seeking to serve someone with legal documents opts for a deputy instead of choosing to find the best process server for help, they are forfeiting all the efforts the legal professionals at our private investigation agency in Oklahoma City can and will make on behalf of their process serving clients. This is why our legal firm has higher rates of successful service of process than their law enforcement counterparts.
Inflationary Considerations:
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic lasted mostly from 2020-2023, inflation has become remarkably high. Everything costs so much more now than ever before, and costs to pay basic bills and have a decent standard of living have risen substantially. Since deputies still charge only $50 per defendant for over twenty years! While each sheriff’s office receives public funds, process servers do not. No process server in Mustang, OK or rape private investigator can live on fifty dollars per hour and stay in business. Things cost more nowadays, and while some judges and bailiffs are sadly divorced from reality about what other people need to earn just to live and pay bills.
Conclusion:
For all the meritorious reasons above, anyone other than those working in the private sector in vital legal fields like process serving, private investigations, polygraph tests, mediations, skip tracing, notary public work, bodyguards, etc., needs to sit down and stay silent about salaries they make. Only business owners who work in these fields who face the same dangerous threats have any entitlement to speak on this topic. Pay process servers and private detectives a fair wage/salary for sustainable living and hope no one shoots them in the process.
