Opinion ID: 1920397
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Personal Jurisdiction and Service of Process

Text: Under Florida law, service of process and personal jurisdiction are two distinct but related concepts. Both are necessary before a defendant, either an individual or business entity, may be compelled to answer a claim brought in a court of law. Personal jurisdiction refers to whether the actions of an individual or business entity as set forth in the applicable statutes permit the court to exercise jurisdiction in a lawsuit brought against the individual or business entity in this state. See generally § 48.193; White v. Pepsico, Inc., 568 So.2d 886 (Fla.1990); Venetian Salami Co. v. Parthenais, 554 So.2d 499, 500 (Fla.1989) (stating that in order to subject a defendant to personal jurisdiction, due process requires that the defendant have certain minimum contacts with the forum). Service of process is the means of notifying a party of a legal claim and, when accomplished, enables the court to exercise jurisdiction over the defendant and proceed to judgment. See Shurman v. Atlantic Mortg. & Inv. Corp., 795 So.2d 952, 953 (Fla.2001) (It is well settled that the fundamental purpose of service [of process] is `to give proper notice to the defendant in the case that he is answerable to the claim of plaintiff and, therefore, to vest jurisdiction in the court entertaining the controversy.') (quoting State ex rel. Merritt v. Heffernan, 142 Fla. 496, 195 So. 145, 147 (Fla.1940)). Personal jurisdiction over a nonresident of the state is circumscribed by constitutional considerations of minimum contacts as stated in the seminal case of International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945), and its progeny. [6] As explained in Venetian Salami, two inquiries must be made regarding personal jurisdiction over a nonresident: First, it must be determined that the complaint alleges sufficient jurisdictional facts to bring the action within the ambit of the statute; and if it does, the next inquiry is whether sufficient minimum contacts are demonstrated to satisfy due process requirements. 554 So.2d at 502 (quoting Unger v. Publisher Entry Service, Inc., 513 So.2d 674, 675 (Fla. 5th DCA 1987)). Under Florida Rules of Civil Procedure 1.140(b)(2), (b)(4), and (b)(5), lack of jurisdiction over the person, insufficiency of process, and insufficiency of service of process are defenses that may be raised either in a responsive pleading or by motion.