Practical Law Glossary Item 3-518-5068 (Approx. 2 pages)
Glossary
Process
Also known as legal process. The documents that are necessary to commence a lawsuit and bring the defendant within the court's jurisdictional reach. In civil litigation, this typically means a summons and a complaint. The plaintiff in a civil lawsuit must properly serve process on the person or company being sued in order to make that person or company a defendant in the case.