Del. Code 13, § 1508 : Domestic Relations — Divorce And Annulment — Obtaining jurisdiction over respondent

  • Date:

Current through 2016 Legislative Session, Act 399

(a) After the filing of the petition, jurisdiction may be acquired over respondent in any of the following ways:
(1) By issuance of summons by the Clerk of the Family Court, and service thereof by the sheriff upon respondent, by delivering a copy of the summons, petition and any affidavit to respondent personally or by delivering copies thereof to an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process;
(2) By appearance of respondent, either personally or by executing and filing an appearance document in a form approved by the Court, with or without issuance of summons;
(3) By appearance of counsel for respondent, with or without issuance of summons;
(4) Under a court rule not inconsistent with this section.
(b) If the petition avers that it is unlikely that jurisdiction can be acquired over respondent except by mailing and publication, or by publication only, whether respondent is a resident or a nonresident of this State, jurisdiction may be acquired over respondent by mailing and publication, or by publication only, under subsection (d) of this section.
(c) If an effort has been made unsuccessfully to obtain jurisdiction over respondent as provided in subsection (a) of this section, then jurisdiction may be acquired over respondent by mailing and publication, or by publication only, under subsection (d) of this section.
(d) When service is to be made upon respondent by mailing and publication, the Clerk of the Family Court shall:
(1) Send a copy of the summons, petition and any affidavit to respondent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the address that petitioner had averred it is most likely that mail will be received by respondent; and
(2) Cause a notice in the form prescribed by subsection (e) of this section to be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the action is pending.

If petitioner has averred that he or she knows of no address where it is most likely that mail will be received by respondent there shall be no mailing.

No further notice shall be required unless the Court, deeming the circumstances exceptional, requires further notice.

(e) The form of notice shall be as follows:

TO: (John R. Doe), Respondent

FROM: CLERK OF THE FAMILY COURT, (NEW CASTLE) COUNTY, DELAWARE

(Mary C. Doe), petitioner, has brought suit against you for divorce (or annulment) in the Family Court of the State of Delaware in and for (New Castle) County, in Civil Action No..... ., 20.. .. If you do not serve a response to the petition on petitioner's attorney (John C. Dodge, 400 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, Delaware) within 20 days after the day of publication of this notice as required by statute, the action will be tried without further notice by the Family Court in (Wilmington).

(f) When the petition avers that respondent is a resident of this State, the summons shall be delivered to an officer for service in the county where it appears most likely that service can be effected on respondent.
(g) The expense of mailing and publication shall be taxed as part of the costs of the case.
(h) Original process, whether an original, alias or pluries writ, is returnable 20 days after the issuance of the writ, except that the Court by rule, or by order after application for cause shown, may provide that the writ be returnable sooner or later.
Del. C. § 1508
24 Del. Laws, c. 221, § 10; Code 1915, § 3013; Code 1935, § 3506; 43 Del. Laws, c. 205, § 1; 13 Del. C. 1953, § 1512; 58 Del. Laws, c. 349, § 10; 59 Del. Laws, c. 350, § 1; 60 Del. Laws, c. 297, §§ 6-9; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
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