How will I receive court documents?

Court documents and other documents related to your case can come to you in many different ways.

• Documents may come to you by certified mail or express mail with return receipt requested. UnderCivil Rule 1(A), if you refuse to sign the return receipt and the certified or express mail envelope is returned unclaimed, the documents may be sent to you again by ordinary mail.  See alsoCivil Rule 4.6(C) and (D).

• Documents may also come to you by personal service. Personal service means that the county sheriff, a bailiff of the court or the clerk of court or a process server will personally deliver the document to you. See alsoCivil Rule 4.1(B).

• Documents may also come to you by residence service. This means that the documents will be left at your usual place of residence with a person of suitable age and discretion who also resides in that location.  SeeCivil Rule 4.1(C).

• If your address is unknown, documents could come to you by publication in a newspaper. See Civil Rule 4.4.

• The opposing party, or his or her attorney, may also send you copies of documents the opposing party has filed with the court. These copies may be delivered to you personally, left at your office with someone in charge or in a conspicuous place, left at your residence with someone of suitable age and discretion, by fax or by regular mail.  SeeCivil Rule 5(B).

• Documents may also be delivered to you personally by a process server, who is a person appointed by the court who is not part of your case.  SeeCivil Rule 45(B)andCivil Rule 4.1(B).

Finally, in addition to receiving printed copies of some discovery requests, you may also receive electronic copies via email, computer disk or otherwise as agreed by the parties to the case.  See Civil Rule 33(A) and Civil Rule 36(A).

See also Civil Rule 73(C), (D) and (E), as well as Appellate Rule 13(C) and Juvenile Rules 16 and 20.

This content was created by the Ohio State Bar Foundation.