(a) Service; when required.
(1) In general. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, each of the following papers must be served on every party:
(A) An order stating that service is required;
(B) a pleading filed after the original petition, unless the court orders otherwise under subsection (c) because there are numerous defendants;
(C) a discovery paper required to be served on a party, unless the court orders otherwise;
(D) a written motion, except one that may be heard ex parte; and
(E) a written notice, appearance, demand, offer of judgment or any similar paper.
(2) If a party fails to appear. No service is required on a party who is in default for failing to appear. But a pleading that asserts a new claim for relief against such a party must be served on that party in the manner provided for service of summons in article 3 of chapter 60 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated.
(1) Serving an attorney. If a party is represented by an attorney, service under this section must be made on the attorney unless the court orders service on the party.
(2) Service in general. A paper is served under this section by:
(A) Handing it to the person;
(B) leaving it:
(i) At the person's office with a clerk or other person in charge, or, if no one is in charge, in a conspicuous place in the office; or
(ii) if the person has no office or the office is closed, at the person's dwelling or usual place of abode with someone of suitable age and discretion who resides there;
(C) mailing it to the person's last known address, in which event service is complete upon mailing;
(D) leaving it with the court clerk if the person has no known address;
(E) sending it by telefacsimile communication, in which event service is complete upon receipt of a confirmation generated by the transmitting machine; or
(F) serving it by electronic means when authorized by supreme court rule or a local rule.
(c) Serving numerous defendants.
(1) In general. If an action involves an unusually large number of defendants, the court may on motion, or on its own, order that:
(A) Defendants' pleadings and replies to them need not be served on other defendants;
(B) any crossclaim, counterclaim, avoidance or affirmative defense in those pleadings and replies to them will be treated as denied or avoided by all other parties; and
(C) filing any such pleading and serving it on the plaintiff constitutes notice of the pleading to all parties.
(2) Notifying parties. A copy of every order must be served on the parties as the court directs.
(1) Required filings; certificate of service. Any paper after the petition that is required to be served, together with a certificate of service, must be filed within a reasonable time after service. Only a certificate of service must be filed for expert disclosures under K.S.A. 60-226, and amendments thereto, and the following discovery requests and responses, which must not be filed until they are used in the proceeding or the court orders filing:
(A) Depositions other than those taken under K.S.A. 60-227, and amendments thereto;
(B) interrogatories;
(C) requests for documents or tangible things, or to permit entry onto land; and
(D) requests for admission.
(2) How filing is made; in general. A paper is filed by delivering it:
(A) To the clerk; or
(B) to a judge who agrees to accept it for filing, and who must then note the filing date and the time on the paper and promptly send it to the clerk.
(3) Electronic filing, signing or verification. In accordance with K.S.A. 60-271, and amendments thereto, and supreme court rules, pleadings and other papers may be filed, signed or verified by electronic means.
(e) Section not exclusive. The methods of serving and filing pleadings and other papers provided in this section constitute sufficient service and filing, but they are alternatives to and do not restrict different methods specifically provided by law.
L. 1963, ch. 303, 60-205; amended by Supreme Court order dated July 20, 1972; amended by Supreme Court order dated July 28, 1976; L. 1987, ch. 218, § 1; L. 1992, ch. 128, § 13; L. 1997, ch. 173, § 2; L. 2002, ch. 198, § 18; L. 2010, ch. 135, § 72; July 1.
Once a case moves past the initial petition, 60-205 governs how the parties keep each other informed. Subsection (a) lists what must be served on every party: orders that require service, pleadings filed after the original petition (unless the court excuses this because of numerous defendants), discovery papers that must be served, written motions other than ones that may be heard ex parte, and papers like written notices, appearances, demands, and offers of judgment. A party in default for failing to appear generally doesn't need further service, except that a pleading asserting a new claim against that party must still be served the way a summons is served.
Subsection (b) sets out how service is made. If a party is represented, service goes to the attorney unless the court orders otherwise. A paper can be served by handing it to the person; leaving it at the person's office with someone in charge, or in a conspicuous place if no one is; leaving it at the person's home if there's no office or the office is closed; mailing it to the last known address, with service complete upon mailing; leaving it with the clerk if the person has no known address; sending it by fax, with service complete upon a confirmed transmission; or serving it electronically when a supreme court rule or local rule authorizes that.
Subsection (c) lets a court handling an unusually large number of defendants order that defendants' pleadings need not be served on other defendants, that crossclaims and affirmative defenses in those pleadings are treated as denied by everyone else, and that filing a pleading and serving it on the plaintiff gives notice to all parties — with a copy of any such order still served as the court directs. Subsection (d) covers filing: papers that must be served, along with a certificate of service, generally must be filed within a reasonable time, though depositions, interrogatories, document requests, and requests for admission need only a certificate of service filed until they're used in the proceeding or the court orders filing. Filing happens by delivering the paper to the clerk or to a judge who agrees to accept it, and electronic filing, signing, or verification is allowed under K.S.A. 60-271 and supreme court rules. Subsection (e) closes the section by confirming these service and filing methods are alternatives, not the exclusive way to serve or file.