Served & Found
A process server came to your Glendale door. Here's what's next
Someone knocked, asked your name, handed you an envelope and left. Or they left it with your teenager, or your roommate, or slid it to you across the counter at work. Now you're standing in your kitchen in Glendale trying to work out how worried to be.
Take a breath. Being served doesn't mean you've lost anything. It means a case has started and the clock to respond has too. Here's how to get your bearings. This is general information, not legal advice, and if the papers involve your home, your kids or a large amount of money, call a lawyer this week.
Was it really service?
In Arizona, personal service on an individual under Rule of Civil Procedure 4.1(d) means the papers were handed to you, left at your home with someone of suitable age and discretion who lives there, or delivered to an agent authorized to accept them for you. If papers were left with a family member at your house, you have most likely been served even though you never touched them.
If someone left papers on your car, in your mailbox or with a neighbor, that's less clear. Don't assume it doesn't count. Treat the deadline as running and ask a lawyer.
Refusing to take the envelope, or shutting the door, doesn't make the case go away. It just means you lose time.
Work out which court it's from
The top of the first page names the court. In Glendale, the three you're most likely to see are these.
Glendale City Court, at 5711 W. Glendale Avenue. It's the city's municipal court. The city's court page lists criminal matters, civil traffic and parking, and protective orders, which are filed through the state's online AZPOINT system. If what you received is an order of protection from this court, it was most likely served by the police. Under A.R.S. 13-3602, a municipal court's order is served by that city's law enforcement agency, and there's no fee for serving it.
A Maricopa County justice court. Justice courts handle smaller civil lawsuits, evictions and some misdemeanors. West Valley precincts are grouped in shared buildings, including 10420 W. Van Buren Street in Avondale and 14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane in Surprise. Your papers will say which precinct and where.
Maricopa County Superior Court. Bigger civil cases, divorces, custody and probate are filed here. The court has locations downtown in Phoenix and a Northwest Regional Center in Surprise.
Knowing the court tells you what rules apply and where you'd file a response.
Find your deadline
For a civil lawsuit, the Arizona courts' self-help site, AZCourtHelp, says you generally have 20 days after being served in Arizona to file a written answer or response, or 30 days if you were served outside the state. Count from the day you were served. Write the date down now, on the envelope, before you forget.
Evictions move much faster. A residential eviction summons gives a court date within days, not weeks. If your papers say "special detainer" or "eviction," read the hearing date first and plan to be there.
Protective orders are different again. The order usually takes effect once it's served, and it will tell you how to request a hearing. Follow its terms from the moment you have it, even if you think it's unfair.
What not to do
Don't ignore it. If you don't respond to a civil suit in time, the other side can ask for a default judgment. In many cases that means a judgment for the full amount they asked for, plus the chance of wage garnishment or a bank levy later.
Don't call the other side and argue. If there's a lawyer listed on the papers, anything you say can be used. If you want to negotiate, do it in writing or through your own lawyer.
Don't throw anything away. Keep the envelope, every page and any notes about who served you and when.
Don't take it out on the process server. They're a certified professional delivering paperwork. They didn't file the case and can't tell you anything about it.
Where to get help in Glendale
If you can't afford a lawyer, the Maricopa County courts have self-service resources, and AZCourtHelp has forms and plain-language explanations. Our own guide, You've been served papers. What now?, covers the same ground in more depth.
If you need to serve papers back on someone, say a counterclaim, a response that has to be delivered or a case of your own, you can compare process servers who cover Glendale. They're on the Arizona Supreme Court's certified list.
If you think the person suing you doesn't have a case, or you need to find a witness, a private investigator may help. Our piece on locating someone who owes you money after a Glendale judgment explains how that side works.
The rest of our listings for the city are on the Glendale page. Right now, find the court name and the date you were served, and write both on the front of the envelope.
See the board: everyone in Glendale · process servers only.