California's SPARE Act: What Your Firm Needs to Know

California's new process-serving rules replace case-law-driven "reasonable diligence" with defined, measurable standards. This guide breaks down exactly what changes, who is affected, and how your firm can get ahead of the January 2027 deadline.

Key Changes at a Glance

📍 The 3-3-3 Diligence Rule – Servers must make at least three good-faith personal service attempts, on three different days, at three different times, before substituted service is allowed.

📸 GPS-Timestamped Photo Proof – What the new photo requirement covers, and the one documented exception your servers can rely on.

📋 Revised Judicial Council Forms – The documentation changes to watch for so your proof-of-service filings hold up.

⚖️ The Shifted Burden of Proof – How contested default judgments change – and why it now matters who has to prove service was lawful.

✅ A Get-Ready Checklist – The vendor, intake, and training steps to take now -not in December- to stay compliant.