Jurisdiction

Service of process is a thankless task. Ever received a card from a client grateful for your masterful perfection of service? Never happens. But make a mis-step—and you will hear from the client. Or end up on the news—and not in a good way. A case based on bad service of process is like a city built on a volcano. Sooner or later you have to vacate. No service—no jurisdiction. It’s a void order. You may recall Hamilton v. Johnson, a recent opinion by the North Carolina Court of Appeal. The Court vacated a cluster of orders from an…