When a plaintiff commences a lawsuit, they are required to make legitimate efforts to find the defendants and serve them with a copy of the claim. If the defendants cannot be located or refuse to accept service of the claim, the Court may order that the claim be served by other means. This can be by several methods, including delivery to the defendant's last known address or by publication in one or more local newspapers. Regardless, if the plaintiff complies with the Order from the Court, then the lawsuit can proceed and the defendant will be liable for the judgment. The principle is that the plaintiff should still have access to justice even when the defendant cannot be located or refuses to cooperate with the legal process.