(LSDO)Serve the documents

Serve the documents

Depending on the other person's address for service, you can mail the documents, drop them off, or send them by email or fax. The methods have different rules and time limits.

Expand the following headings to find out more about each method of service.

You can serve a document by mailing a copy of it to the person's address for service. This could be a home or business address. You can send it by regular mail, but you must pay full postage.

A mailed document is considered served one week later on the same day of the week as the day of mailing or, if that day is a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the next day that's a business day (Monday to Friday).

Mail isn't a good option if your instructions are, for example, to serve the document within two days, or by noon the next day.

You can serve a document by dropping off a copy at the person's address for service. This could be a home or work address.

A document that's left at a person's address for service is considered served on that day if it's served at or before 4 pm on a business day (Monday to Friday). If it's left after 4 pm or on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, it's considered served on the next day that's a business day.

If the other party included an email address in their address for service, you can serve a document by emailing an electronic copy.

An email is considered served on the day it's sent if you send it before 4 pm on a business day (Monday to Friday). If you send it after 4 pm or on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, it's considered served on the next day that's a business day.

If the other party included a fax number in their address for service, you can serve a document by fax.

  1. Fill in a Fax Cover Sheet (Form F95). You can either fill the sheet out online or print it and fill it out by hand (print neatly using dark-coloured ink).
  2. Fax the cover sheet and the document to the fax number provided in the address for service.

A fax is considered served on the day it's sent if you send it before 4 pm on a business day (Monday to Friday). If you send it after 4 pm or on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, it's considered served on the next day that's a business day.

There are special rules for faxing long documents. If the document you're faxing, including the cover page, is more than 30 pages, you must send it between 5 pm and 8 am, unless the other party agrees to receive it earlier.
Updated on 7 December 2022