Process service · Middle East & AfricaOverview
Process Server in Togo: How Service of Process Works
Because Togo has not joined the Hague Service Convention, U.S. papers reach defendants in Lomé and beyond through a local agent or formal letters rogatory. The OHADA treaty covers business law in Togo; for service, the courts in Lomé apply national procedure. We recommend certified French translations, since French is the working language of the courts in Togo, from Lomé to the Savanes Region.
Who serves process
Who Can Serve Legal Documents in Togo
Its legal system follows French civil law, and Togo is an OHADA member, so company law cases in Lomé apply the OHADA uniform acts.
There is no Hague Service Convention route into Togo; requests for Lomé or the Savanes Region need another channel. Papers from a U.S. court usually reach the person through a local agent, often within weeks in Lomé; letters rogatory take longer but carry the authority of both courts. Where enforcement in Togo is likely, we favor a method the courts in Lomé would recognize, even if a faster one would satisfy your U.S. court. We recommend certified French translations, since French is the working language of the courts in Togo, from Lomé to the Savanes Region.
For defendants in Lomé or elsewhere in Togo, the usual starting point is an assignation (writ of summons) or a requête (application); orders, notices and enforcement papers follow later in a case. We serve in Lomé, across the Maritime Region and out to the Savanes Region.
Proof you receive: a sworn affidavit of service
Your proof from Togo is an exploit (the official record of service), prepared by the huissier who served the papers around Lomé or a sworn affidavit if a local agent serves instead, with an English translation if it is issued in French.
Diplomatic Letters Rogatory
We prepare and route formal Letters Rogatory through diplomatic channels to Togolese judicial authorities, the standard pathway for U.S.-originated requests.
Local Agent Service via Togolese Counsel
We engage local Togolese counsel to advise on the fastest compliant method given Togo's non-Hague status and French-influenced civil-law procedure.
Certified French Translation
Formal filings intended for Togolese courts require French translation. We arrange certified French translations of every document so the courts in Lomé accept them.
Treaties
Togo and the Hague Conventions: Treaty Status
The Hague Service Convention lets member countries send documents to each other's Central Authorities for service. Togo has not joined it, so that route isn't available, and the Convention's Article 10 rules on postal and private service don't apply. Whether those methods are acceptable depends on Togo's law and on what your court allows.
Togo is not a party to the Hague Evidence Convention, so requests for witness testimony or documents go through letters rogatory.
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