Claim forms/Court documents served by email?

[RJ55]

Hello, I hope someone can help.

I have a question about whether claim forms and other court documents can be served by email, rather than in person.

We are the defendants in a will dispute and the claimant wants to know our current addresses as they are threatening to serve a court order. Two of us live outside of the UK and the third person does not feel comfortable with the claimant having their address.

Due to us being spread out in different countries, we would much prefer to receive communications via email. We would of course acknowledge receipt of all communications.

Is this something we can request to the claimant and/or court? If so, if there a specific rule that we can quote/use to back up our request?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

[atticus]

Yes, this can be done. See para 4.1 of CPR Practice Direction 6A: https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/pr...pd_part06a#4.1

[RJ55]

Thanks so much for your reply Atticus. Would something like this be sufficient?

------------------

To:

In accordance with paragraph 4.1 of the Civil Procedure Rules Practice Direction 6A, please accept this letter as a written request to serve all correspondence (including pre-action correspondence and formal proceedings) by email to ---------------, -------------- and -----------------, at their email addresses listed below:

Name - email address
Name - email address
Name - email address

Please confirm receipt of this letter by no later than---------

Yours faithfully,

Name, Name, Name

[atticus]

That seems to do the job.

[RJ55]

Thank you Atticus