Address Tracing for Process Serving
Locating individuals and companies to enable formal service of legal documents
When Delivery Cannot Fail
Legal proceedings cannot be commenced, or cannot be progressed, if a respondent or debtor cannot be located. Address tracing is the intelligence discipline that locates individuals and companies to enable the formal legal process to continue. We trace current, serviceable addresses from which we can then execute service.
Address tracing is the use of lawful intelligence and database methodology to establish the current address of an individual or the current registered or principal address of a company, for the purpose of service of legal documents or commencement of legal proceedings.
All tracing work is conducted in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and ICO guidance. We process personal information only where there is a legitimate legal purpose — process serving and the administration of legal proceedings constitutes a lawful basis. Our methods are lawful, our sources are authorised, and our records are maintained in accordance with UK data protection standards.
Operational Protocol
Instruction Briefing
We receive details of the individual or company to be traced, together with any last known information. The more information available, the more targeted our methodology.
Database Intelligence
We access authorised tracing databases including electoral roll records, Companies House, Land Registry, county court judgments and other lawfully accessible sources.
Intelligence Validation
Database results are validated before being presented as a service address. We do not serve a legal document on a historical or inaccurate address.
Field Confirmation
Where the stakes are high — a bankruptcy petition, for example — we conduct field confirmation of the traced address before committing to formal service.
Service Execution
Where we are instructed to both trace and serve, we proceed directly to service execution on confirmation of the address, minimising delay.
Certificate & Affidavit of Service
Court-ready proofs compliant with Civil Procedure Rule requirements.
Frequently Asked
What information do you need to trace an individual?
As a minimum: full name and last known address. Date of birth, last known employer, vehicle registration and other identifiers improve accuracy significantly. The more you can provide, the more targeted the trace.
Is address tracing legal?
Yes. Address tracing conducted for legitimate legal purposes — process serving, debt recovery, insolvency proceedings — is lawful under the Data Protection Act 2018. All our tracing work is conducted in accordance with ICO guidance and relevant data protection standards.
How long does tracing take?
Most traces complete within 24–48 hours. More complex cases — subjects who have moved multiple times, subjects who are actively concealing their address — may require longer. We advise on timescales on instruction.
Can you trace company directors?
Yes. Directors are often traceable through Companies House, professional registrations, and other lawfully accessible records. We can trace both the company and specific named directors.
What happens if you cannot trace the address?
We report the results of our enquiries in detail, including sources consulted, records checked, and the basis for our inability to confirm a current address. This can support an application to the court.
Instruct on Address Tracing.
Rapid scheduling across England & Wales. Immediate confirmation upon execution.