Server's Corner

Don’t Mess Up Witness Fees and Registered Agents

Legal proceedings are full of fine print, technicalities, and just enough math to make most people’s eyes glaze over. Two areas that often trip people up? Witness fees and finding the correct registered agent for a corporation. Get either of these wrong, and you might find yourself back at square one. Let’s break it down.

Witness Fees: The Hidden Price of Testimony

Witness fees are basically a court-required reimbursement for someone’s time and travel. They aren’t optional, and calculating them correctly is critical to making sure your case doesn’t hit a snag. We covered this in depth in last month’s articles, but basically they are used to cover mileage for the volunteers that are chosen as witnesses. Some federal witnesses even receive a daily allowance, but this isn’t the case in local Colorado courts.

Mess up this calculation, and you risk invalidating your subpoena or delaying your case.

The Registered Agent Puzzle: Why It Matters

Now let’s talk corporations. When serving a company, you need to serve their registered agent—the official person or office designated to receive legal documents. Sounds simple, right? Not always.

Here’s the challenge:

• The Colorado Secretary of State’s site lists many insurance companies as having the Division of Insurance as their registered agent.
• The problem? This doesn’t always match up with the Secretary of State’s official records.
• If you serve the wrong agent, it’s like mailing your rent check to the wrong landlord—it won’t count.

The Solution: Double-Check Before You Serve

Before you risk wasted time, money, and effort, here’s the golden rule: verify the registered agent.

Take a few minutes to call the Division of Insurance at 303-894-7499 and confirm you’ve got the correct information. It’s a small step that prevents huge headaches.

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How Roland Helps

When it comes to witness fees, we’ll make sure your witnesses are compensated properly so they show up and your subpoena holds water. We process so you can focus on the more important matters in a case. As for registered agents, we ensure we’re serving the right party so your case can proceed smoothly without do-overs.

At Roland Process Service and Investigations, we thrive on the details—because in the legal world, the little things make the biggest difference.

By Roland Process Service & Investigations Staff 9-1-2025