MLQ Attorney Services Blog

HB 1048

MLQ — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:39:32 +0000

We are pleased to announce that House Bill 1048 was signed into law by the Governor of Georgia on May 2, 2012. As we mentioned before, the Georgia Certified Process Servers Program had been blocked by all 159 county sheriffs in the State of Georgia. An ammendment to that law was placed before the Ga. House in February 2012 that would allow the Superior Courts throughout Georgia to certify process servers who had met the requirements. As soon as the Judicial Council of Georgia promulgates the final rules, those process servers that become certified through classwork training, testing, criminal background check, and bonding, will be able to serve in any county court throughout the State of Georgia. No longer will you have to have draft a motion for a process server to serve a paper in a county court that does not provide for permanent appointments of process servers. The new law will greatly enhance the ability of the legal community to use private process servers throughout the state.

The Georgia Association of Professional Process Servers and the National Association of Professional Process Servers deserve much credit for the passage of a law that will benefit all citizens of Georgia. As soon as the rules have been announced, we will post an update to let our clients know of the implementation of the statute.

Process Server Certification Program in Georgia

MLQ — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:03:08 +0000

In my last blog dated in 2010, HB 545 was passed into law. For the first time in Georgia history, process servers now had a way to be trained and certified. In negotiating with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association to gain their support for the bill, GAPPS had to include a first right of refusal for any sheriff in any county who did not want to recognize certified process servers in their county. We were assured that the sheriffs association would put forth its best effort to lobby for these sheriffs to give the new program a try. In February 2011, the sheriffs posted a note on their website that all 159 county sheriffs opposed the certification program. In April of 2o11, GAPPS together with the House Judiciary Committee submitted an amendment that would delete the sheriff first right of refusal. When the amendment was presented to the House Rules Committee, the sheriffs commented that the certification program was not needed because no process servers had applied to be ceritifed. This was a circular argument because the certification testing program had not yet been approved by the Judicial Council, the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Sheriffs Association.

I believe that the sheriffs never wanted this program to be given a chance. If the first right of refusal can be removed, a certified process server will be able to serve in any county and any court in the state, thereby removing the obstacles that exist today to get process served throughout the state by private process servers. I would encourage anyone reading this blog to contact their state representative and ask that the Georgia Process Server Certification Program be given a chance to succeed.

Georgia Legislature Passes House Bill 545

MLQ — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:35:54 +0000

On Thursday, April 29th, the Georgia Senate passed House Bill 545 with a vote of 46-0. Effective July 1, 2010, process servers who have attained their certification by taking 12 hours of courses and passing a test and who pass a criminal background check will be able to serve throughout the State of Georgia. They will be able to serve out of each court in each county without obtaining a motion and order. The Georgia Association of Professional Process Servers, of which I am currently serving as President, has been working on this bill since 2004. Attorneys will now have a choice of who they use to serve process throughout the state. Also with the passage of House Bill 1055, the sheriffs’ fees will be raised from $25.00 to $50.00 which more approximates the true cost to have a paper served. We look forward to now being able to serve throughout the state with little or no red tape involved from both the client and our perspective.

Why Passage of House Bill 545 is Critical

MLQ — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:29:26 +0000

House Bill 545 is coming up before the Georgia State Senate shortly. It is critical that it be passed. Current Georgia law for the administration of process servers is haphazard and does not promote fairness in the legal system. House Bill 545 would provide for certified process servers that can serve in any county in Georgia pursuant to that process server passing a certification test. This would mean that for the first time, Georgia would have trained, qualified process servers serving process. Currently there is no qualification for a process server to gain an appointment with a court other than a criminal background check and a statement of character by a Georgia Bar attorney. The bill would also allow someone to hire a qualified process server to serve around the state, no matter where that process server resides in the state. Please contact your state senator and ask that House Bill 545 be passed this legislative session.

MLQ Online Ordering System

MLQ — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:00:36 +0000

We would like to thank all of our clients who have adapted to our online order entry format. We believe we have cut down on the margin for error because we have your orders in writing and most of you are attaching copies of the documents we are serving which make our affidavits more accurate.

I would ask that when ordering, please be clear if we are serving the pdf attachment; if the documents are at your office for pickup; if you are mailing the documents to our office, or if we need to pick up a service copy from one of the courts. By being clear on this topic, you will help us avoid delays in completing your requests.

We also have noticed that we are able to communicate with you faster and more efficiently by using our electronic notification system. Hopefully you will agree that our service has improved because of this functionality.

I would like to hear your comments about these or any other topics you wish to discuss. My email is matt.marks@mlqas.com.

Thanks!

Matt

MLQ Attorney Services Unveils “On Q” Technology for Legal Support Services

MLQ — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:21:20 +0000

As the largest provider of legal support services in the metro Atlanta area, I am proud to unveil “On Q,” a new service that will offer clients instant notification and online updates when they serve someone.

Through a password protected website, clients can see the status of their service of process online. The court copy of the affidavit of service is actually scanned into the job. The client is then notified by us via email at the disposition of service. This makes the process much more timely, and provides the client with more information. And the best part? It is available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

I believe that this is the future of legal support services. Our goal is to make the service of process as timely and convenient as possible, and when you need answers and results fast, this is invaluable.

MLQ Attorney Services Celebrates 27 Years with a Customer Appreciation Party at Tap

MLQ — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:07:43 +0000

Latrece Jamison and Lever Stewart of MLQ

Matt Marks of MLQ and Mischelle Grant of The Daily Report

Matt Marks of MLQ, Joyce Norman of MLQ, Dion Hastal of Greenberg Traurig LLP and Maureen Boykin of MLQ

Katherine Vincent and Kathy Davis of AT&T Southeast and Joyce Norman and MAtt Marks of MLQ

As the largest provider of legal support services in the metro Atlanta area, MLQ Attorney Services is proud to celebrate 27 years serving the community. Customers were invited to an anniversary party at Tap on Wednesday, May 27 for drinks, appetizers and free giveaways.

“This was a great opportunity to show our customers how much we appreciate their loyalty to our firm,” says Matt Marks, Vice President of MLQ Attorney Services. “We wanted to celebrate 27 years on the 27th day of May in the place that was voted Atlanta’s Best Place to Meet After Work.”
Founded in 1982, MLQ offers a variety of services including Courthouse Research, Criminal Backgrounds, Skip Tracing and Investigations and Title Searches. Clients work with a network of prescreened affiliate providers who handle all out-of-state work with MLQ. MLQ also offers fast, dependable document retrieval from any courthouse within the United States as quickly as same day.

“Atlanta has been a great place to live, work, do business and grow,” Marks says. “With this milestone, we are looking forward to even more good things in the future.”

National Association of Professional Process Servers

MLQ — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:51:39 +0000

I attended the National Association of Professional Process Servers in my capacity as President of the Ga. Association at its annual convention held this year at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas from April 29th- May 2nd. The conference proved to be good for Georgia as I made a speech to the conference regarding the status of the legislation of HB 545. I reported that we came down to the wire by getting the bill through the House Rules Committee and on to the House Floor where it passed. The bill then went to the Senate Public Safety Committee where it passed and was moved to the Senate Rules Committee. Unfortunately it did not arrive in Rules until 2 days before the session ended and therefore it did not make it to the Senate floor for a vote.

We did however get the bill further than in any past year, and we believe that we will get it passed early in the 2010 legislative session. It would be helpful that all readers of this post contact their state senator to express their support for HB 545. It will essentially provide for certified process servers who will then be able to serve statewide in Georgia without a motion and order to be signed case by case. It will also provide for standardized training and standardized background checks, both of which do not exist today.

The conference in Las Vegas was also important in another respect. NAPPS which the national organization is called, has reached out to the National Sheriffs Association to build a better relationship with the sheriffs. Hereto for, process servers and sheriffs have been at odds with each other. Sheriffs have viewed private process servers as a threat to their livelihoods. Many sheriff departments are realizing that civil process is a cost not a profit center, and the trend in some counties is to have the service of process privatized. Up to 8 counties in California have gone in this direction. Here in Georgia, the Georgia Association of Professional Process Servers ( GAPPS ) , will work hand in hand with the Georgia Sheriffs Association to develop the training program for the statewide certifications. Again please contact your state senators and let them know that as part of the legal community, you wish to convey how important it is for the hiring of private process servers to be a more efficient process.

Matt Marks Elected President of Georgia Association of Professional Process Servers

MLQ — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:21:40 +0000

The Georgia Association of Professional Process Servers (GAPPS) is proud to announce that Matt Marks has been elected President of the organization for the 2009 term.

“With this new position, I am looking forward to keeping the process serving system at the forefront in Georgia,” says Matt Marks, Vice President of MLQ Attorney Services. “Our goal is to promote legislation and rules which will advance and professionalize the process serving profession, as well as to promote and maintain the professional and ethical standards for the profession.”

GAPPS is an organization dedicated to promoting a high level of professional and ethical standards for the Process Serving industry in Georgia. The group’s 85 members have quarterly meetings across the state to improve relations between the industry, the legal community and the general public.

“This gets our names out there and gives us a platform to work on legislative issues,” Marks says. “We want to make legal support services as convenient as possible, and this organization looks out for the best interests of process serving in the state of Georgia.”