What is the effect of a failed or improper service on the court's jurisdiction?

• A. It may prevent jurisdiction from attaching until proper service is achieved; the court may require re-service.
• B. It automatically voids the case.
• C. It has no effect on jurisdiction.
• D. It requires immediate trial rescheduling.

Answer: (A)

Service of process is what gives the court authority over a defendant. If service is failed or improper, the court typically cannot obtain personal jurisdiction over that defendant until proper service is completed. The remedy is usually to require re-service using the correct method so the defendant is properly notified and due process is satisfied. This prevents judgments from being entered against someone who hasn’t actually been served.

So the correct choice reflects that defective service can block jurisdiction and that re-service may be necessary. It is not that the case is automatically void, nor that there’s no effect on jurisdiction, nor that trial must be rescheduled immediately simply because service was defective.