RFI 2627-05_Private Service of Process FINAL.pdf

RFI #26/27-05 Private Service of Process

State of Florida Department of Revenue – Child Support Program

Request for Information (RFI)

1. INTRODUCTION/STATEMENT OF NEED

The Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Program is seeking information from vendors who serve legal process in Florida and in other states. In addition to relying on the Florida Sheriffs for service of process, the Child Support Program routinely uses private process servers to serve legal process in paternity and child support cases throughout Florida and in long-arm cases when the respondent resides in another state.

2. BACKGROUND

Service of process is required for judicial actions and administrative proceedings to establish paternity and to establish and modify child support orders.

In administrative proceedings, if service by certified mail is not attempted or is unsuccessful, the sheriff is used. If the sheriff is unable to serve the respondent, a private process server is used.

Pursuant to the Department’s current contract, private service of process is also performed separately upon request for contract attorneys who represent the Child Support Program. The attorneys send requests to serve civil process directly to the contractor. The attorneys pay the contractor the state rate and are reimbursed by the Department.

In State Fiscal Years 24/25 and 25/26 to date, the current contractor completed 13,446 service requests for the Department. During this timeframe, an additional 2,313 service requests were completed for the Program’s contract attorneys.

The Department’s current contract for service of process ends on 4/15/2027. The Department plans to release a competitive solicitation for one or more new contracts later this year or in early 2027.

3. INFORMATION REQUESTED

The objective is to determine if there are vendors who can provide private process servers to serve legal process in paternity and child support cases throughout Florida and in long-arm cases when the respondent resides in another state.

1. In which Florida counties do you serve legal process, either directly or by using a subcontractor?

2. Describe your use of subcontractors to serve process.

3. How long have you been serving legal process in the counties you work in?

4. How long has your present company been in operation?

5. Do you arrange for service of process in other states? If yes, which states?

6. How do you typically receive work orders (e.g., email, upload, data transmission, courier, U.S. mail, common carrier)?

7. What is your preferred method for receiving the process to be served and the information needed to serve it?

8. After being provided with the process and information needed to serve it, how many days typically elapse before the first service attempt if the subject resides in Florida?

9. How many attempts are made before returning the process unserved?

10. On what days of the week and during what hours is service attempted?

11. Are additional fees charged for service after 5 p.m. or on weekends?

12. Is the process server normally responsible for filing the service return with the court? If yes, how long does that normally take after process is served?

13. If you were to provide the original or copy of a service return to the customer (e.g., law firm), how long would that normally take after process is served?

14. Describe the system you use to keep track of your work.

15. How soon is your system updated after process is served or returned unserved?

16. How does your customer obtain status information?

17. How do you provide customer service and support, including methods of contact, hours of operation, status of pending service requests, and expected response times?

18. What steps, if any, are taken to ensure process servers perform the work properly?

19. On average, how many service requests do you receive per month?

4. SUBMITTING YOUR RESPONSE

Please use the attached form to submit your response (Attachment A). Email your response to Tanisha Miller, Purchasing Analyst at Tanisha.Miller@floridarevenue.com with “RFI #26/27-05, Service of Process” in the subject line of the email.

The Department invites vendors to submit other information that the vendor would like the Department to consider in light of questions asked in this RFI.

mailto:Tanisha.Miller@floridarevenue.com

5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Listed below are the important actions, and dates and times by which the actions must be taken or completed. Responses are due by 3:00 PM (EST) on August 21, 2026.

DATE ACTION

7/16/26 Release of RFI on the VIP 7/24/26 Last day for Vendor written questions and inquiries 8/14/26 Anticipated date that written responses to Vendor questions and inquiries will be posted to the VIP 8/21/26 Vendor Responses Due

6. LEGAL NOTICES

Agencies are authorized by Rule 60A-1.042, F.A.C., to use a Request for Information to determine:

• Whether to competitively procure particular commodities or contractual services;

• The type of solicitation to use for a particular need; or

• General, special, or technical specifications to be included in a solicitation.

A Request for Information (RFI) is not a solicitation. An agency issuing an RFI is not required to use any information gathered from the RFI, nor is a vendor who responds to an RFI excluded from participating in any resulting solicitation.

Agencies must use MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) Sourcing or the Vendor Information Portal for issuing an RFI. A vendor must be registered in MFMP in order to respond to an RFI conducted using MFMP Sourcing. See Rule 60A-1.033, F.A.C., for MFMP vendor registration.

This is a Request for Information and should not be construed as an intent, commitment, or promise to acquire or purchase the proposed services presented by vendors.

The Florida Department of Revenue will not be obligated to any vendor as a result of this RFI. The Department is not obligated for any costs incurred by vendors in the preparation of their response to this RFI. The Department will not pay for any information herein requested nor be liable for any costs incurred by the vendor.

This RFI is being released strictly for the purpose of gaining knowledge of services available on the market for the provision of these services, related services, and desirable options.

From the information collected through this RFI, the Department will review all information and options related to the services, related services, and desired options.

Copyrighted material will be accepted as part of the RFI only if accompanied by a waiver that will allow the Program to make paper and electronic copies necessary for the use of Program staff, agents and public record requests.

All information obtained becomes the property of the Department upon receipt and will not be returned. The Department may be required to disclose all or part of a public record received in response to this RFI.

If the Department releases a competitive solicitation at a later date, it will be posted on the Vendor Information Portal. https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/ Submitting or not submitting a response to this RFI does not exclude a vendor from submitting a response to a solicitation as a result of the information collected from this

RFI

The Florida Department of Revenue appreciates your time and interest in responding to this Request for Information. Thank you!

https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/

ATTACHMENT A

FLORIDA DEPARMENT OF REVENUE

RFI #26/27-05, PRIVATE SERVICE OF PROCESS

Question and Response Matrix

Vendor Name: ________________________________________________ Prepared by: _________________________________________________ Date:___________________ Title: _________________________________________________ Contact: _________________________________________________

ITEM QUESTION RESPONSE

In which Florida counties do you serve legal process, either directly or by using a subcontractor?

2 Describe your use of subcontractors to serve process.

How long have you been serving legal process in the counties you work in?

4 How long has your present company been in operation?

Do you arrange for service of process in other states? If yes, which states?

How do you typically receive work orders (e.g., email, upload, data transmission, courier, U.S. mail, common carrier)?

What is your preferred method for receiving the process to be served and the information needed to serve it?

After being provided with the process and information needed to serve it, how many days typically elapse before the first service attempt if the subject resides in Florida?

9 How many attempts are made before returning the process unserved?

On what days of the week and during what hours is service attempted?

ITEM QUESTION RESPONSE

11 Are additional fees charged for service after 5 p.m. or on weekends?

Is the process server normally responsible for filing the service return with the court? If yes, how long does that normally take after process is served?

If you were to provide the original or copy of a service return to the customer (e.g., law firm) how long would that normally take after process is served?

14 Describe the system you use to keep track of your work?

How soon is your system updated after process is served or returned unserved?

16 How does your customer obtain status information?

How do you provide customer service and support, including methods of contact, hours of operation, status of pending service requests, and expected response times?

What steps, if any, are taken to ensure process servers perform the work properly?

19 On average, how many service requests to you receive per month?