Excuse my laziness but I have always been under the impression that constables can not charge my office a fee for serving government papers. i.e. Protective Order. Is that actually found somewhere in the law or just a courtesy most do?

We do not actually get a bill from the sheriff for serving our papers within the county, but in the case of a protective order, the respondent (if you are successful) should be ordered to pay the court costs, which should include cost of service. Will your constable take that as an answer, in lieu of payment?

I was not very clear-I am trying to get out of county service and the other county is trying to charge me.

Julie

If the constable is here in the great Lone Star State, he/she may not assess any fee against the applicant or you as the attorney representing the applicant, per section 81.002, Family Code. That includes any fee assessed "by a ... constable ... in connection with the filing, serving, or entering of a protective order".