Service of Judicial Documents
in Belize

Service in Belize can best be accomplished by utilizing the Inter-American Convention, especially if enforcement of a judgment in Belize is anticipated.

In addition, please be aware that many forum state statutes indicate that service shall be made by any internationally agreed means (treaty or convention) or by an entity "authorized to make service".

Treaty service can often take 6-8 months or more to effect. Belize has a usual turnaround time of approximately 5 months. No request for expedited service is acknowledged by the foreign judicial authorities. Because of this, we will provide an affidavit that will indicate service is in progress, in compliance with applicable statutes and the reasonably expected time it will take to complete. This would support a motion to extend, which is usually necessary, and is provided at no additional cost. In addition, the Belize authorities are not obligated to provide status information about a service and generally do not. We will, however, follow the progress of the service as closely as possible and inform you of any information obtained.

Service through the Inter-American requires 7 pages of treaty documents.

For us to prepare the documents and facilitate the service, we require the following:

1. A complete and legible set of the documents to be served. Please make sure if the defendant being served is a "Doe" entity that they are named in an Alias Summons;
2. Name of the judge who will be signing the request;
3. Name, address and telephone number of the court
4. Name, address and phone number of the entity being served;
5. Name, address and phone number of the plaintiff for whom service is being requested;
6. Full name, address and phone number of the specific attorney to act as counsel contact;
7. Fees are due in advance and will be quoted prior to accepting the assignment. This includes translation fees, if we provide translation.

Service is also available by a private agent (attorney). However, it is wise to keep in mind that this private agent service may be quashed in the originating US court and any US judgment obtained on the basis of private agent service may not be enforceable in Belize.

For a private agent to serve the document, we simply need the following:

1. A complete copy of each of the documents to be served;
2. Full name, address, and any other available information, for the entity to be served;
3. Fees are due in advance and the basic costs will be quoted prior to accepting the assignment;
4. Your written authorization to effect private agent service after being informed of the possible consequences.

Service in major areas such as Belize City can be effected quickly. The complete turnaround time for this method of service is usually 2 weeks, but can take longer. Rush service is available for an additional fee. Service fees and time frames are dependent upon the location of the service address and difficulty of the assignment. There are many areas where travel can be difficult.

The proof of service will be in the form of an affidavit. It is recommended that a US Embassy official notarize the affidavit. If this is not possible due to prohibitive cost or location, a local Belize notary will be used, however, this will likely increase the cost of the service significantly due to the fact that local notaries usually require translation of the affidavit prior to notarization. If you require notarization by a US Consular officer, or Court authentication, it would need to be requested and paid for by your office prior to completion of the service. 

Our office can provide all the integral services and assistance to effect service of civil process in Belize using either of the above methods.

Limited areas of investigation, court record retrieval and various searches are available in Belize. Please contact us to discuss your options if you require assistance other than the service of civil process.

Call Prestige Legal Services toll free at 1-800-784-7572 for your free, no-obligation quote.

* ALL FEES DUE IN ADVANCE