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Personal service of court documents in Windsor-Essex
We put your documents in the hands of the person named in them, anywhere in Windsor and Essex County, and give you a sworn Affidavit of Service to prove it.
What personal service means
Ontario's court rules set out how documents are served, and for the documents that start a case, personal service is the usual method:
- Superior Court civil cases: the Rules of Civil Procedure say an originating process "shall be served personally as provided in rule 16.02 or by an alternative to personal service as provided in rule 16.03." Personal service on an individual means "leaving a copy of the document with the individual."
- Family cases: the Family Law Rules call it "special service," made by leaving a copy with the person. Certain documents, including an application and a motion to change, must be served by someone other than the party, and no one under 18 may serve.
- Small Claims Court: a plaintiff's claim or defendant's claim "shall be served personally as provided in rule 8.02 or by an alternative to personal service as provided in rule 8.03." See Small Claims service.
What we serve
Statements of claim, notices of application, family law documents, Small Claims documents, subpoenas and summonses, motions, eviction notices and demand letters, in accordance with the applicable rules. Files from outside Ontario are welcome too, including U.S. cases where the person lives in Windsor-Essex (see serving process in Canada for US attorneys); tell us which proof of service form your court needs. The full list is under documents we serve. Need to reach someone at their job? Read can a process server serve you at work or in public.
How we handle personal service in Windsor-Essex
- Up to three attempts at different times of day, included in the flat price.
- Printing of 2 copies of up to 25 pages each. Over 25 pages: $0.25 per extra page per copy.
- The mailed copy: where the court rules allow it and the papers are left with an adult at the home, the second copy is mailed the same day and recorded in the affidavit. No secondary mail fee.
- An email after every attempt with the time, the GPS location and a photo.
- Each attempt logged with the time, the GPS location and a photo, so the record is there if you later need it.
- A sworn Affidavit of Service when the serve is done (Form 16B in Superior Court, Form 6B in family court, Form 8A in Small Claims), emailed to you.
If the person avoids service, our time-stamped attempt notes can support a court request for substituted service, which you or your lawyer would bring. We serve at a known address and do not trace people; locating someone is licensed private investigator work in Ontario.
Price
| Standard service, Windsor city limits Up to 3 attempts, email after each, 2 printed copies, mailed copy, sworn affidavit | $140 |
| Rush service, Windsor city limits First attempt within 24 hours | $190 |
| Same-day / emergency Order by 2:00 pm | $210 |
| More attempts After the first 3 | We quote first |
| Additional recipient Same address, same visit | +$40 |
Prices are before HST; tax is shown at checkout.
Prices are set by driving distance from downtown Windsor; the order form shows the exact price for your address.
Rush is the standard rate plus $50. Same-day is a total price, not an add-on.
Outside Windsor city limits, standard service is $160 flat across most of Essex County, mileage included. The Kingsville and Leamington areas, and the rush and same-day prices for each area, are in the full price table.
Call, text or order online any time: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Serve attempts themselves are made at sensible hours for the person being served, not in the middle of the night.
Sources: Rules of Civil Procedure, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194 (ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900194); Family Law Rules, O. Reg. 114/99 (ontario.ca/laws/regulation/990114); Small Claims Court Rules, O. Reg. 258/98 (ontario.ca/laws/regulation/980258). More detail in our article who can serve court documents in Ontario.
Documents we serve
If it has to be handed to a person in Windsor or Essex County, we can serve it. These are the documents clients send us most, grouped by court and named the way Ontario's courts and tribunals name them. We serve documents you have already prepared; we do not draft them or choose which one you need.
Small Claims Court
- Plaintiff's Claim (Form 7A)
- Defendant's Claim (Form 10A)
- Notice of Motion and Supporting Affidavit (Form 15A)
- Summons to Witness (Form 18A)
- Notice of Examination (Form 20H)
- Notice of Garnishment (Form 20E)
Superior Court of Justice (civil)
- Statement of Claim (Form 14A)
- Notice of Action (Form 14C)
- Notice of Application (Form 14E)
- Notice of Motion (Form 37A) and the motion record
- The application record
- Affidavit (Form 4D)
- Summons to Witness (at Hearing) (Form 53A)
- Notice of Examination (Form 34A)
- Notice of Garnishment (Form 60H)
- Order (Form 59A) and Judgment (Form 59B)
Family court
- Application (General) (Form 8)
- Application (Divorce) (Form 8A)
- Motion to Change (Form 15)
- Notice of Motion (Form 14) and Affidavit (General) (Form 14A)
- Financial Statement (Support Claims) (Form 13) and Financial Statement (Property and Support Claims) (Form 13.1)
- Summons to Witness (Form 23)
- Notice of Contempt Motion (Form 31)
Landlord and Tenant Board notices
- N4: Notice to End your Tenancy Early for Non-payment of Rent
- N5: Notice to End your Tenancy for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding
- N6: Notice to End your Tenancy for Illegal Acts or Misrepresenting Income in a Rent-Geared-to-Income Rental Unit
- N7: Notice to End your Tenancy for Causing Serious Problems in the Rental Unit or Residential Complex
- N8: Notice to End your Tenancy at the End of the Term
- N12: Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord, a Purchaser or a Family Member Requires the Rental Unit
- N13: Notice to End your Tenancy Because the Landlord Wants to Demolish the Rental Unit, Repair it or Convert it to Another Use
Other legal documents
- Demand letters
- Affidavits and other documents for proceedings not listed above
- Notices that have to be delivered personally to a named person
Need a document filed or a court record pulled once it is served? That is a separate service: see court filing and retrieval.
Cases from the United States
Summons and complaint, subpoenas, petitions and notices for US court cases, served personally in Windsor-Essex with our sworn Affidavit of Service and, on request, your court's proof of service form.
Not on the list? If it needs to be handed to someone in Windsor or Essex County, ask us.
Questions
Do I need to meet you?
No. Email the documents and the recipient's address to info@rosecityprocessservers.ca, or order online and upload them. The sworn affidavit is emailed back to you.
Can you serve someone at work?
We can attempt service at a workplace address you give us. Read our article on serving at work or in public for what the rules say, and check with your lawyer if your case has special requirements.
Do you give legal advice or fill out forms?
No. We serve documents you have already prepared. For advice on what to serve or how, speak with a lawyer or licensed paralegal.
Where we serve
All of Windsor and Essex County: Windsor, LaSalle, Tecumseh, Amherstburg, Lakeshore, Essex, Kingsville, Leamington. Mileage is included everywhere, and the price table has them all.
General information, not legal advice. Rule quotations are from the Ontario regulations linked on this page; forms and rules change, so always check the current version for your court.
Ready to send a file?
Call or text (226) 773-4813, or email the documents and the address to info@rosecityprocessservers.ca. Call, text or order online any time: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.