Verified Digital Service (VDS) follows a structured, two-phase process designed to evaluate whether digital service is appropriate and, where authorized, document its execution in a manner suitable for court review.
The process is intentionally sequential.
It separates whether digital service should be considered from how it is carried out, ensuring that any request for alternate service is supported by a clear, documented basis.
Every matter begins with an assessment.
This phase is designed to answer a single question:
Does this matter support a defensible request for digital service?
Potential digital channels are identified and evaluatedusing investigative methods to determine:
These factors are considered together—not in isolation—to evaluate whether digital service is reasonably likely to provide notice.
The assessment is not a formality. It is a decision point.
Each matter is assigned a viability determination based on the available information.
In many cases, the appropriate conclusion is that digital service should not be pursued.
This step exists to prevent unsupported or speculative requests for alternate service and to ensure that any recommendation is grounded in documented analysis.
Where appropriate, the assessment is structured and documented in a manner intended to:
If the court authorizes alternate service, the second phase involves the documented transmission of service materials through the digital channels identified during the assessment.
All actions are taken in accordance with the parameters of the court’s order authorizing alternate service.
Service is carried out using the available functionality of the approved platform and may include the use of secure links to provide access to documents.
The focus of this phase is documentation.
This includes:
The objective is not to ensure that the materials are opened or acknowledged, but to document that they were transmitted through channels previously evaluated as reasonably likely to provide notice.
These records are compiled into a sworn Affidavit of Digital Service.
The affidavit documents the actions taken and establishes a clear record of the transmission in accordance with the court’s authorization.
VDS is not a standalone service. It is used within the existing service workflow.
In practice, the sequence typically looks like:
VDS is not applied automatically and is not appropriate in every matter.
The process is designed to introduce structure and documentation into situations where service has become uncertain, allowing attorneys to make informed decisions before additional time and cost are incurred.
A litigation support process developed by ASG Investigations
© 2026 ASG Investigations. All rights reserved.
Verified Digital Service (VDS) follows a structured, two-phase process designed to evaluate whether digital service is appropriate and, where authorized, document its execution in a manner suitable for court review.
The process is intentionally sequential.
It separates whether digital service should be considered from how it is carried out, ensuring that any request for alternate service is supported by a clear, documented basis.
Every matter begins with an assessment.
This phase is designed to answer a single question:
Does this matter support a defensible request for digital service?
Potential digital channels are identified and evaluatedusing investigative methods to determine:
These factors are considered together—not in isolation—to evaluate whether digital service is reasonably likely to provide notice.
The assessment is not a formality. It is a decision point.
Each matter is assigned a viability determination based on the available information.
In many cases, the appropriate conclusion is that digital service should not be pursued.
This step exists to prevent unsupported or speculativerequests for alternate service and to ensure that any recommendation isgrounded in documented analysis.
Where appropriate, the assessment is structured and documented in a manner intended to:
If the court authorizes alternate service, the second phase involves the documented transmission of service materials through the digital channels identified during the assessment.
All actions are taken in accordance with the parameters of the court’s order authorizing alternate service.
Service is carried out using the available functionality of the approved platform and may include the use of secure links to provide access to documents.
The focus of this phase is documentation.
This includes:
The objective is not to ensure that the materials are opened or acknowledged, but to document that they were transmitted through channels previously evaluated as reasonably likely to provide notice.
These records are compiled into a sworn Affidavit of Digital Service.
The affidavit documents the actions taken and establishes a clear record of the transmission in accordance with the court’s authorization.
VDS is not a standalone service. It is used within the existing service workflow.
In practice, the sequence typically looks like:
VDS is not applied automatically and is not appropriate in every matter.
The process is designed to introduce structure and documentation into situations where service has become uncertain, allowing attorneys to make informed decisions before additional time and cost are incurred.
A litigation support process developed by ASG Investigations
© 2026 ASG Investigations. All rights reserved.
