Instructions for Completing the Affidavit of Service
In a court case, everyone involved must receive the key documents they need. “Serving” documents means
giving copies to all the other parties. Generally speaking, this must be done at each step in the case. For
example, the plaintiff must serve a copy of the plaintiff’s claim form on the defendant. By serving
documents, you tell the other parties about the step you are taking. They can then respond if they want to.
Step 1: SERVE the documents. You can serve the documents yourself. You can have a friend or co-worker
do it for you. You can also hire someone, called a process server, to do it. If you have a representative, you
can let them look after it. Different documents must be served in different ways. For example, the plaintiff’s
claim cannot be served on an individual by regular lettermail or fax. Check the Small Claims Court "Guide
to Serving Documents" at court offices or online at
to find out more
about service rules. In general, a document can be served any day of the week.
Step 2: COMPLETE the Affidavit of Service. The person who serves the papers must keep careful notes.
He or she will have to let the court know who was served and when and how this was done. These facts
must be put on the Affidavit of Service. The person who fills out the form must swear or affirm that the facts
are true.
DO NOT FILE THIS PAGE
RSCC-8A-E (2015/11)