What is the difference between a "service of process" fee and a “filing” fee?

• A. Both are the same fee with different names.
• B. Filing fee is for copying documents; service fee is for court administration.
• C. Service of process fee applies only to service by mail.
• D. Filing fee is for filing a case; service of process fee is for delivering legal documents to parties.

Answer: (D)

The difference hinges on what each fee pays for in court procedures. The filing fee is charged to start a case and covers the court’s administrative handling of that filing—getting your petition into the docket, recording it, and beginning the official case record. The service of process fee covers delivering the actual legal documents to the parties involved so they are properly notified, which is typically handled by a process server or the sheriff. That cost accounts for locating recipients, making attempts to serve, and delivering the summons and complaint, separate from the act of filing the case itself. So, filing is about initiating the case, while service of process is about ensuring parties receive notice of the case. The other options mix up these roles: filing isn’t specifically for copying documents, and service of process isn’t limited to mail or exclusively for court administration.