Trials & Litigation
Volume of service-of-process requests among concerns reported by surveyed in-house legal professionals
If you are feeling overwhelmed by demands associated with service of process, you aren’t alone, according to a survey of 250 professionals with senior roles within in-house legal teams. (Image from Shutterstock)
If you are feeling overwhelmed by demands associated with service of process, you aren’t alone, according to a survey of 250 professionals with senior roles within in-house legal teams.
Fifty-six percent of respondents said the volume of service-of-process requests was a concern, with 76% saying their departments are spending “too much” or “excessive” time managing the procedure used to notify parties in legal actions, according to the survey by the Corporation Service Company, a compliance service provider also known as CSC.
Other concerns are data accuracy (61%), followed by finding skilled workers in service-of-process management (54%), managing data with third parties (52%) and internal governance (49%).
“With the rise in volume and demand across jurisdictions with different procedures and rules such as response timelines, in-house legal teams are spending more time on complex SOP management and administration,” according to the survey report, The State of Service of Process in 2025: Riding the Wave of Surging SOP Demand.
Cybersecurity was also a concern, cited by 48% of the respondents.
“Cybersecurity has risen to the forefront, as claims often contain highly sensitive personal information that must be safeguarded with the highest standards of care,” according to the survey report.
Another section of the survey report called artificial intelligence “a threat and an opportunity.” Ninety-seven percent of respondents use AI for managing or analyzing service of process, yet 96% remain concerned about accuracy and speed.
AI could be used by plaintiffs law firms to help identify potential claimants and simplify mass arbitration processes, the survey report said. Plaintiffs lawyers will increasingly use the technology “to rapidly convert the information they collect from those plaintiffs into the actual documents required to file those demands for arbitration,” said Paul Mathews, the director of CSC’s product management, in the survey report. The result would be even more pressure with regard to service of process.
CSC conducted the survey in partnership with Pureprofile, a research company. The respondents came from a pool of senior legal professionals who have an agreement with Pureprofile to participate in surveys.
Respondents came from a range of industries, including legal services, health care, manufacturing, insurance, financial services, retail and technology. Job titles of respondents included senior counsel, associate or deputy general counsel, general counsel, senior vice president or vice president of legal, chief compliance officer, chief legal officer and corporate secretary.
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