Editing Service of process (section)

===International service===
{{main article|Hague Service Convention}}
International service of foreign judicial and extrajudicial documents is governed in general by the 1965 [[Hague Service Convention]]. Prior to the enactment of the Hague Service Convention, service of process in civil cases was generally effected by a [[letter rogatory]], a formal request from the court in the country where proceedings were initiated or underway to a court in another country where the defendant resided. This procedure generally required the use of [[consular]] and [[diplomacy|diplomatic channels]] as the request had to be made to the foreign minister (the Secretary of State in the United States) of the defendant's country by the foreign minister of the originating court.

Since 1965, member states designate a central authority for service of process and requests go directly there. In addition, many states allow some type of service directly by mail or personal service by a person otherwise authorized to service process without involvement of local courts.