Why Oklahoma Process Servers are Paid Well Below the Regional Average

Why Oklahoma Process Servers are Paid Well Below the Regional Average

            Compared to process servers in other states, Oklahoma process servers earn far below the regional average.  This does not just apply to process servers, but also to teachers and other professionals.  What often happens is that the best teachers and process servers in other states travel elsewhere (i.e., Texas) to make a reasonable living.  This is unfortunate, as it causes a “brain drain” per se of some of Oklahoma’s most talented individuals.  Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com examines the complexities behind this phenomenon.      

A process server performing a standard serve in Oklahoma often earns around fifty dollars, which is what a sheriff’s deputy makes.  On the contrary, a process server in Dallas, Texas, which is only about three hours away from Oklahoma City, can easily receive eighty-five or ninety-five dollars per local service of process.  Likewise, process servers in Arkansas, Kansas, and other states also generally receive more money than an Oklahoma process server does.  This can become quite problematic for those wishing to serve process throughout the State of Oklahoma.

Perhaps part of the reason Oklahoma process servers make relatively small amounts has to do with the fact that obtaining a process server license is far too easy.  In order to become a process server in Oklahoma, all one has to do is to is to get some passport photos made, pay the fee, and receive the license.  Unfortunately, no education, training, or other experience is required. 

State law does not require process servers to know the process serving laws or perform any type of internship.  While the individual must be at least eighteen years of age and of “good moral character” that is also absent any felonies, that is about it.  Perhaps this is yet another reason why process servers in Oklahoma not only make a relatively little amount of money, but is also a contributing factor as to why the general  public often holds Oklahoma process servers in relatively low regard.  Of course, as noted earlier, process servers are not the only one to experience this salary discrepancy.

A teacher in Oklahoma with a doctoral degree and ten years of teaching experience can actually make substantially less than a teacher in Texas with a master’s degree and fewer years of experience.  While some might contend that the cost of living is higher in Texas, this is usually not the case.  Likewise, teachers in both states have to undergo similar training requirements.  Thus, if the amount and type of training is not the issue, then what is?

Many have long contended that the economy in Texas and other states is higher than Oklahoma’s.  While this might prove true to some degree for some areas in Texas, the same cannot be said for those in Kansas or Arkansas, where the economic differences between there and Oklahoma are really quite minimal.  What, then, could the other factors be that make the fields of teaching, process serving, etc., pay so much less in Oklahoma than in other states?

Oklahoma has not been known in the international or even regional arenas to place a high value on education.  Given that Oklahoma’s economy has long been agriculture-based where formal education was unnecessary, the importance that many residents have traditionally placed on schooling has not kept up with those in certain other states.  Likewise, a strong correlation between the value placed upon education and teachers’ salaries exists.  Needless to say, the same holds true for process servers.  

With the exception of attorneys and those who need to have papers served in an efficient manner, many people in Oklahoma simply do not value process servers.  When one takes the complete lack of educational requirements and experience required for a process server license into account, this just lowers the standards of the profession and thus the pay.  In order for process servers to receive higher pay, three things will need to happen, which are as follow:

ü  Oklahoma will need to value its Oklahoma City process servers more.

ü  Oklahoma needs to establish more advanced training and educational requirements for process server licensing.

ü  Oklahoma’s process servers need to unionize for better wages, and they need lobbyists at the state capitol.

ü  The “economic recovery” really needs to continue to materialize, thereby reducing the number of people who apply to become process servers. 

ü  Oklahoma’s population as a whole needs to value its process servers more, which is a difficult task given that they often bring unwelcomed news.

            Unless and until the aforementioned things take place, a process server in Oklahoma is likely going to continue to make less money than their colleagues who live and work in other nearby states.  Unless Oklahoma process servers, teachers and other professionals take a strong stand and work to help make their profession one that is more organized, trained, and valued by society, then they, like teachers, will likely continue to make a very minimal amount of money.

The Pitfalls of Process Server Companies That Hire Independent Contractors in Different States

The Pitfalls of Oklahoma Process Server Companies That Hire Independent Contractors in Different States

           

In today’s society, it seems as though outsourcing is everywhere.  From credit card companies that send customer service jobs overseas to firms like Nike and Apple that exploit laborers in factories overseas, independent contractors and outsourcing are everywhere.  Not only do the companies that overseas labor “enjoy” increased tax breaks, but they also limit their legal liability if something goes wrong (i.e., if a poor child gets his or her hand cut off while working).  In addition, these companies can often pay these individuals less, too, which is a definite added “bonus” for chief executive officers seeking to maximize their company’s profit margin.  While all of these benefits are aimed at helping the wealthy, they also have their downsides for both clients and the workers, and the same holds true for process serving companies.  The experts at Oklahoma Judicial Process Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com would like to elucidate . . .

Process servers who outsource their work to others in different states throughout the United States of America can potentially experience a multitude of headaches.  Professional process servers need to thoroughly investigate the individuals they hire.  How reliable are the Texas process servers?  Will a process server that gets hired to do a job in Florida, California, New Mexico, Kansas, or elsewhere perform the job effectively?  What are the customary fees associated with those areas, and which laws apply?  Will someone hired as an independent contractor know what is fair and reasonable and how to follow the laws?  These are just a few of many reasonable questions that Oklahoma process servers seeking to outsource their out-of-state work might experience.

It is true that an Oklahoma process server who owns and effectively runs a company can take care to avoid many pitfalls.  The process server can perform background checks, requesting references, etc.  In addition, performing a quick Google search can often help determine whether or not a particular process serving company has found itself plagued with a multitude of complaints.  The Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org is yet another resource to use when hiring, though most process serving companies do not list themselves with it.

Relative to finding out what fees are usual and customary for process servers in different states, sometimes making phone calls around to a large number of process servers can provide some meaningful insights.  Many process servers charge about what a sheriff’s deputy would otherwise get, while other Kansas process servers may charge more or less.  Indeed, those who do not own companies at all and just do process serving on a part time basis might require the least amount of money.  Oklahoma City process servers who conduct a thorough check, if time permits, of reasonable rates throughout the area are likely to find those who will do the job for the least amount of money.

One of the biggest headaches of hiring process servers who reside in other states is that an Edmond, Oklahoma process server cannot really control the quality of work.  If a process server in Moore, Oklahoma suddenly drops the ball and disappears from a job, then it is usually not too difficult for the Oklahoma process server who hired him or her to just go and do the job himself or herself.  However, if that process server lives in another state and the process serving company that hired the process server has no corporate address there, then fixing a problem (i.e., failure to do the job) can and usually will become much more difficult.

Another bad aspect of hiring other process servers in different states is having to deal with a plethora of egos, outrageous fees, etc.  Some process servers will even try to steal clients, and professional process servers will usually not consent to signing contracts which prohibit client stealing.  Even if they do, it is not always so easy to track whether the process servers in other states are stealing your clients.  That being said, those that do get caught often do not have any assets to sue for anyway. 

Sometimes hiring process servers who know their states’ local laws, are reliable, professional, affordable, etc., is just too difficult a task.  Indeed, hiring bad process servers in other states can actually end up costing otherwise reputable companies a great deal of business from attorneys and others who also use that same process serving company for work in their local area.  Each Oklahoma process server should carefully weigh whether or not the cost-benefit analysis  of hiring contract labor elsewhere is really worth it.  Of course, professional process serving companies are not the only ones who stand to win – or lose – with outsourcing.

Though it can take time, performing background checks, taking time to call references, and only working with process servers in Oklahoma who will sign a legal contract can help pay off in the long run.  Any process server in Oklahoma or elsewhere who refuses to do so is not someone that a firm should hire anyway.  Those who are dedicated and who have nothing to hide will not have any reason to worry.

Sometimes attorneys and others will claim that finding and keeping a very trustworthy, reliable, affordable, personable process server is an extremely difficult task.  Whether in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Florida, or elsewhere, this is often true.  This is why those that attorneys and process servers seeking to contract out the work to others tend to prefer to hire the same process servers that do excellent work over seeking a new one for each job.

On the other side of the coin, numerous process servers can explain in detail how various professional process serving companies have cheated them out of money, have been very slow to pay, etc.  Indeed, in an effort to maximize profits, many professional Oklahoma process servers seek to pay others they hire only a mere fraction of what the client is actually paying.  The good and the bad can flow both ways, so it is important to ensure that all process servers also thoroughly investigate the companies that hire them beforehand, too!    

An Oklahoma process server who is trying to run an outstanding business should take special care to carefully weigh all of the pros and cons of hiring contract labor.  Process servers looking for work from large companies should do the same.  Some process servers run companies that help their customers throughout the entire nation, and they can indeed enjoy a great deal of success – if they take the needed precautions beforehand.  Others process servers in Oklahoma find that it is just not worth their time or effort, and therefore they do not even bother with hiring independent contractors.  Ultimately, each Oklahoma City process server company and the process servers who consider working for them must carefully determine the best course of action for his or her own professional company and those they work with.