Legal Definitions - service by publication

Service by publication is a way to give notice of a lawsuit to someone who cannot be found or is intentionally avoiding being served. This is done by publishing the legal documents in a newspaper or other publication that is widely circulated.

For example, if someone is trying to sue a person who has disappeared without leaving a forwarding address, they may use service by publication to give them notice of the lawsuit. Another example is in a divorce case where one spouse cannot be located.

However, courts are very cautious about allowing service by publication and will usually require evidence that the defendant cannot be served by other means. This is to ensure that the defendant's right to due process is protected.

Overall, service by publication is a last resort when all other methods of serving legal documents have failed.