IPS Network Blog

If you have a case pending in a court outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and need to depose a witness who lives here, our Legal Support Network can assist with every step of the Massachusetts subpoena process. Under  Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 233, Section 45 , a witness in Massachusetts may be summoned and compelled—just as if appearing before a Massachusetts court—to give a deposition for a case pending in another state. The statute authorizes depositions to be taken before: >  A Massachusetts notary public or justice of the peace, or​ > A commissioner appointed by the court where your case is pending, with the witness compelled to appear through process issued by a Massachusetts notary or justice of the peace. ​ Our network issues deposition subpoenas in full compliance with  M.G.L. c. 233 § 45  to compel the witness to appear at the deposition you schedule with a deposition service company. Steps You Must ...

A subpoena is one of the most powerful tools available in a Massachusetts legal proceeding. Whether you need documents, testimony, or access to premises, a properly issued subpoena compels compliance under state law. This post breaks down who can issue a subpoena, how subpoenas are enforced, and provides direct links to the relevant service pages on IPS‑Notary. Who Can Issue a Subpoena in Massachusetts? ​ Massachusetts law is unusually broad in terms of who may issue a subpoena. Under Mass.R.Civ.P. 45 , M.G.L. c. 233 § 1 , and M.G.L. c. 30A § 12(3) , the following individuals and entities may issue subpoenas: 🗸 Massachusetts Notaries Public Massachusetts is one of the few states where Notaries Public have statutory authority to issue subpoenas and witness summonses. This includes subpoenas for:   ​ Testimony ( ad testificandum ) Documents-Only (no appearance) Depositions Records Subpoena (duces ...

IPS Court Services delivers professional, compliant Service of Process throughout Massachusetts, handling everything from routine civil documents to complex, time‑sensitive legal matters. As trained and authorized Process Servers and Constables, we serve subpoenas, summonses, divorce and domestic‑relations paperwork, eviction notices, probate citations, notices to quit, federal summonses, and more. Every serve includes precise, court‑ready documentation—an Affidavit or Return of Service—so your case moves forward without delay. IPS also excels in the challenging aspects of process serving. We locate hard‑to‑find individuals through skip‑tracing, conduct stakeouts when required, and manage situations involving evasive or hostile defendants with professionalism and safety awareness. When needed, we can be appointed as a Special Process Server under Mass. R. Civ. P. 4(c) , giving us statewide authority, flexible scheduling, and a single point of contact for accurate, compliant service. Ou...

An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a Notary Public. The name "affidavit" is Medieval Latin for he has declared upon oath . An affidavit is a type of verified statement or showing, or in other words, it contains a verification, meaning it is under oath or penalty of perjury, and this serves as evidence to its veracity and is required for court proceedings. Not all affidavits require a Notary Public for execution. An affidavit that will be presented as evidence in a court of law should be notarized because the Notary Public verifies the following: that the affiant (person making an affidavit) is who he says he or she is; that the affiant took an oath or affirmed under penalties of perjury that the statements contained in the affid...

A Notary Public is an official of integrity appointed by state government—typically by the secretary of state — to serve the public as an impartial witness in performing a variety of official fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents. These official acts are called notarizations or notarial acts. Notaries are publicly commissioned as “ministerial” officials, meaning that they are expected to follow written rules without the exercise of significant personal discretion, as would be the case with a “judicial” official. It is the foremost duty of a Notary to screen the signers of particularly sensitive instruments — such as property deeds, wills and powers of attorney — for their true identity, their willingness to sign without duress or intimidation, and their awareness of the general import of the document. Some notarizations also require the Notary to put the signer under an oath declaring under penalty of perjury that the information contained in a docume...

What is a Subpoena? A Subpoena is an order that commands a person to do any of the following: >> appear in court to testify at a hearing: >> appear in court to testify AND produce tangible evidence (photos, payroll records, etc.); >> appear before a government agency to testify and/or produce tangible evidence (photos, documents, records, etc.) for a hearing being conducted by the agency. Such agencies include the Department of Children and Families (DCF), Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA), Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), etc.; >> appear at a deposition to testify and/or produce tangible evidence. A deposition is sworn testimony taken out of court before a an officer authorized to administer oaths. Such officers can be a Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, or someone appointed by the court to take a deposition. How can a Subpoena help me? For example, if you're going through a divorce and need to see how much you...