Cook County Ends Mandatory Sheriff Serves: What Law Firms Need to Know for 2025
Starting January 1, 2025, Cook County law firms will no longer be required to use sheriffs for service of process.
This legal shift eliminates the need to rely on the Sheriff’s office, a system that often caused delays and left firms scrambling to meet deadlines due to capacity issues.
For Cook County, home to the City of Chicago and more than 5.2 million residents, this change streamlines a critical aspect of the legal process in one of the largest unified court systems in the world, where more than 1 million cases are filed annually.
What’s Changing?
Under the new law, any licensed process server can now handle service of process in Cook County, provided they or their agency meet state requirements and complete a one-time registration with the Cook County Sheriff’s office. This includes licensed private detectives, registered employees of private detective agencies, and other approved servers who comply with state regulations. The update removes the requirement to use the Sheriff in the first instance, streamlining the process and giving law firms greater flexibility.
What Your Firm Can Do
This change offers Cook County law firms an opportunity to significantly improve how they handle service of process. Here’s how to take advantage of this shift:
Choose the Right Partner: Look for a process serving company that has already ensured compliance with the new law and that can handle both local and nationwide serves.
Streamline Workflows: Use a process serving provider that integrates with your case management system, allowing you to create and track serves without added administrative headaches.
Educate Your Team: Ensure paralegals and attorneys are aware of the new rules and how switching to a professional process serving company can improve efficiency and client satisfaction.
Why Switch to Proof?
Proof is fully prepared to help Cook County law firms navigate this transition with confidence. We’ve ensured full compliance with the new law by registering our private detective agency license with the Cook County Sheriff’s office. This means our servers are officially authorized to handle service of process in 2025 and beyond.
Licensed and Compliant: Proof’s servers meet all state and local requirements, so you can rest assured that your serves are handled legally and professionally.
Reliable Local Service: Proof’s local vetted servers ensure timely, professional service for every case.
Nationwide Reach: Beyond Cook County, Proof’s extensive network ensures seamless service across the country.
Real-Time Updates: Stay in the loop with 3-way chat for instant status updates and communication.
User-Friendly Dashboard: Manage all your serves in one place with Proof’s intuitive dashboard, giving you firm-wide visibility and 24/7 tracking.
Convenient Integrations: Proof integrates with leading case management systems to streamline your work, including Clio, Filevine, Litify, and MyCase.
“Proof has always been there for me when I need a server. Whether it be local or across the United States, Proof has served process quickly and competently.”
-Michael King, Collier Law
Ready to Make the Switch?
The new law offers Cook County law firms the chance to modernize and streamline their service of process. Proof is here to make the transition seamless, with unmatched reliability, compliance, and communication. Visit proofserve.com to start your first serve or schedule a demo today.
