While office parties and holiday closures often make December feel like a slow month for legal work, seasoned attorneys know it is actually the most critical preparation window of the year. The quiet period before New Year’s Day offers a deceptive calm before a predictable storm. Waiting until January to file and serve your papers guarantees your case will start behind schedule, stuck in a massive administrative bottleneck.
Accurate Serve® of Orlando remains fully operational throughout December. We help you utilize this window to secure your place on the docket before the crowds return.
The Reality of the “Divorce Month” Rush
The first month of the year is widely known in the legal industry as “Divorce Month.” This isn’t just anecdotal; inquiries and filings spike dramatically in the first weeks of the year because couples often delay separation until after the holidays to “keep the peace” for their children. The moment the festivities end, the paperwork floods in.
This sudden influx of family law cases clogs the entire system in the Ninth Judicial Circuit (Orange and Osceola) and the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (Seminole and Brevard). The administrative queue lengthens, and securing hearing dates becomes increasingly difficult. Attorneys who file and serve papers in December get ahead of this inevitable traffic jam. You secure your priority on the court’s calendar while other firms are still drafting their initial pleadings.
Why December Service is More Effective
Beyond avoiding the court backlog, December offers distinct logistical advantages for the actual service of process. We find that serving defendants is often easier during the holidays for several specific reasons:
- Higher Success Rates: Defendants who are usually elusive or busy often stay home for the holidays, making personal service more likely on the first attempt.
- Predictable Locations: unlike summer vacations which can be anywhere, winter breaks are often home-centric or involve visiting local family, making targets easier to find.
- Consistent Coverage: While gig-economy servers often take extensive time off during the holidays, creating a coverage gap, our full-time staff ensures your papers move while others are on vacation.
Navigating Florida’s Strict Holiday Service Rules
While moving fast is essential, precision is what prevents dismissal. You must distinguish between legal holidays and Sundays. In Florida, serving a summons on a holiday—even Christmas Day—is valid. However, serving process on a Sunday is legally void.
Florida Statute § 48.20 creates a strict prohibition that catches many inexperienced servers off guard. If a server rushes to deliver papers and accidentally serves them on a Sunday because of the confusing holiday schedule, the service is invalid from the start. A void service does more than waste filing fees; it alerts the defendant to the pending lawsuit without establishing the court’s jurisdiction. They may use this warning to evade future service attempts effectively.
Professional servers know exactly which days are legally safe to avoid this tactical error. We also track court closures to ensure your affidavit is ready for filing the moment the clerks return, managing client expectations regarding when the case will officially update.
Beat the January Rush
Don’t let the holiday season stall your litigation timeline or expose your case to the January backlog. Capitalize on the current window to get your case moving. Contact Accurate Serve® of Orlando or send us a work request today.
- Orlando: (407) 868-5992
- Kissimmee: (407) 961-7874
- Lake Mary: (407) 327-8233
If you’re outside of the Orlando area, please visit theaccurateservefranchise.com to find the office closest to you.
