§ 684.040.Manner of Making Service On Attorney

Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 1 · Chapter 4. Manner of Service of Writs, Notices, and Other Papers · Article 1. Service on Attorney of Creditor or Debtor · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026

In one sentenceSection 684.040 lists the three ways to serve an attorney whenever this article requires service on an attorney -- personal delivery, the manner § 1011(1) prescribes for serving attorneys generally, or mail under § 684.120.

Full Text of § 684.040

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

If service on an attorney is required under this article, service on the attorney shall be made in any of the following ways:

(a) By personal delivery to the attorney.

(b) By service in the manner provided in subdivision (1) of Section 1011.

Plain-English Summary

When §§ 684.010 or 684.020 route service to an attorney rather than the creditor or debtor, this section supplies the actual mechanics. Three methods work: personal delivery to the attorney, the general attorney-service method described in § 1011(1) (the Code's standard rule for serving papers on counsel in a pending action), or mail under § 684.120's rules for service by mail in this title.

Having three interchangeable options gives the serving party flexibility without sacrificing reliability — any of the three, done correctly, satisfies the service requirement and, under § 684.050, counts as service on the party the attorney represents.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can an attorney be served under this article?

By personal delivery, by the manner § 1011(1) provides for serving attorneys generally, or by mail under § 684.120.

Does using § 1011(1)'s method here work the same as it does for other civil papers?

Yes, § 684.040(b) incorporates that same general method for serving attorneys as one of the three options.

Does serving the attorney this way count as serving the party?

Yes. Section 684.050 treats service on the attorney under this article as service on the judgment creditor or judgment debtor.

Amendment History

Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1364, Sec. 2. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 3 of Ch. 1364.

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature. Last verified July 28, 2026. · Official source

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