What Is Skip Tracing?

Originally posted on 09/10/2015

Sometimes finding someone is the biggest issue with having them do something!

Process servers help deliver the legal documents that make the legal system operate. This system would not run nearly as smoothly without tools such as skip tracing. Keep reading to learn more about process serving and skip tracing.

Process Serving: The Reason Skip Tracing Exists

Process serving is an integral component of the United States judicial system. Without it, many people who should be held accountable for the wrongs they’ve committed would run free. Process servers are tasked with finding individuals and physically handing them the documents that lay out the case against them and the actions they must take to comply with the judiciary process. They accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task by a process known as skip tracing. 

What is Skip Tracing?

Skip tracing helps a process server locate a person’s whereabouts, and its name is derived from the expression “to skip town.” When someone skips town, they typically leave little to no clues as to where they’re going next. Skip tracing allows process servers to uncover hidden information that helps them locate the person they’re searching for. 

How Process Servers Use Skip Tracing

There are many tactics that process servers use for skip tracing, and they are largely dependent on databases that contain detailed information about people in both the private and public sectors. This information is analyzed and cross-referenced for verification in order to prevent process servers from following a trail that leads to a dead end. When looking for an individual, process servers use databases to gather countless pieces of information, such as:

• Phone numbers
• Credit reports
• Credit card applications
• Job applications
• Utility bills 
• Tax information

Even if none of the information gathered leads a process server to the person they’re looking for, there are other databases that give them information about people associated with the individual, which they can then use to gather additional clues that point them in the right direction. While this was a long and drawn-out task in years past, today’s technology enables process servers to gather this information and act on it quickly.

Partner with the Experts at Same Day Process Service to Find Your Missing Individual

At Same Day Process Service, we have the tools and experience to quickly locate an individual and serve him or her the necessary documents that are needed for a court case. If you’re in need of a skilled process server, contact us today to learn how we can help!