What is the practical goal of service of process? What are the federal and your state time limits for service?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer is Once the action is filed, it is essential to serve the summons and a copy of the complaint on the defendant in order for the court to gain personal jurisdiction over the defendant. In state court this is usually necessary to begin the action. The court's judgment is not binding against the defendant unless personal jurisdiction has been obtained by service of process. Consequently, it is an extremely important step. Under Rule 4(c) the plaintiff must serve the summons and a copy of the
complaint on each defendant within 120 days [Rule 4(m)] of filing the complaint. Failure to do so
shall result in dismissal of the action unless good cause for failure to comply can be shown to the court. In some states, the responsibility for service of the summons rests with the clerk of court. If service is the clerk's responsibility, it is best to provide information on the best place(s) and time to find the defendant.

What Is the Practical Goal of Service of Process? What