This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.
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When you take legal action through a small claims court against an individual or organization in the US, you must file a petition with the court. The party on the opposing side of the case, called the "respondent," must be told about the case before it can move forward. The action of telling the respondent about the case is commonly known as "serving papers." You can serve papers in person, via mail, through a third party, or via publication.