Find Your Ex for Legal Papers: Essential Steps

Discovering Your Ex’s Address for Legal Matters

How do I find my ex’s address so I can serve her paternity papers?

I’m Tulsa divorce attorney James Wirth, and that’s the question we have today.

Here’s the situation: you have a child with someone, but she won’t let you see your son. You know the next step is to file a paternity action. But once you file, how do you serve her if you don’t know where she lives?

Methods of Serving Paternity Papers

In Oklahoma, there are several ways to serve someone:

• • Personal Service
    You can hire a professional process server or pay the county sheriff’s office to serve the papers. Service doesn’t have to be at the person’s home—it can also be at work or anywhere else they can be found. So, if you know where and when she’ll be somewhere, a process server can meet her there.

 

• • Certified Mail
    Another option is certified mail with a return receipt, marked “restricted delivery.” This usually requires knowing the home address.

 

Alternative Services for Hard-to-Find Individuals

 

• • Skip Trace Searches
    If you don’t know the address, attorneys often use skip trace services, which pull information from utility records, databases, and other sources. At my office, for example, we use tools like Accurant. Some services are available online to the public, while others are restricted to lawyers, private investigators, or similar professionals.

 

• • Private Investigators / Process Servers
    Some process servers are also licensed private investigators, and they have additional tools to help locate someone. If not, hiring a private investigator is another option.

 

• • Service by Publication
    If all else fails and you can’t locate the person despite making diligent efforts, you can ask the court for permission to serve by publication. That means running a notice in a legal newspaper for a required period of time.

 

Ensuring Proper Legal Steps

The key takeaway is this: one way or another, service is always possible if you follow the proper steps.

If you’re dealing with a family law matter like this in Oklahoma, don’t rely only on general information online. Talk to a Tulsa family law attorney privately and confidentially for advice tailored to your case. To schedule a consultation with my office, visit MakeLawEasy.com.

Get a Low-Cost Strategy Session

If you’re ready to take the next step, contact our office for a low-cost initial strategy session. Call 918-879-1681 today and get the guidance you need to move forward with your case.