The United States is a party to the Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters, commonly referred to as the “Hague Convention,” which provides mechanisms by which plaintiffs can effect service of process on defendants in foreign countries.1 Article 2 of the Hague Convention requires each signatory country to designate a central authority to receive requests for service of judicial documents from the other signatory countries.2 This central authority is always to be available; however, its use is not compulsory, and other channels of service are provided for in Articles 8 through 11.3 Article 10 of the Hague Convention provides:

Provided the State of destination does not object, the present Convention shall not interfere with—

(a) the freedom to send judicial documents, by postal channels, directly to persons abroad,

(b) the freedom of judicial officers, officials or other competent persons of the State of origin to effect service of judicial documents directly through the judicial officers, officials or other competent persons of the State of destination,

(c) the freedom of any person interested in a judicial proceeding to effect service of judicial documents directly through the judicial officers, officials or other competent persons of the State of destination.4

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