(a)Service: when required. – Except as otherwise provided in these rules, every order required by its terms to be served, every pleading subsequent to the original complaint unless the court otherwise orders because of numerous defendants, every paper relating to discovery required to be served upon a party unless the court otherwise orders, every written motion other than one which may be heard ex parte, and every written notice, appearance, demand, offer of judgment, designation of record on appeal, and similar paper shall be served upon each of the parties. For purposes of this rule, guardians ad litem are considered parties. No service need be made on parties in default for failure to appear except that pleadings asserting new or additional claims for relief against them shall be served upon them in the manner provided for service of summons in Rule 4. (b)Same: how made. – Whenever under these rules service is required or permitted to be made upon a party represented by an attorney, the service shall be made upon the attorney unless service upon the party is ordered by the court. Service upon the attorney or upon a party shall be made by delivering a copy to the attorney or party; or by mailing it to the attorney or party at the attorney’s or party’s last-known address, or, if no address is known, by leaving it with the clerk of the court; or by facsimile transmission to the attorney or party pursuant to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Rules for Filing and Service by Facsimile Transmission (see Editor’s Note). Delivery of a copy within this rule means: handing it to the attorney or to the party; or leaving it at the attorney’s or party’s office with a clerk or other person in charge thereof; or, if the office is closed or the person to be served has no office, leaving it at the person’s dwelling house or usual place of abode with some member of the person’s family above the age of 16 years. Service by mail is complete upon mailing. (c)Same: numerous defendants. – In any action in which there are unusually large numbers of defendants, the court, upon motion or of its own initiative, may order that service of the pleadings of the defendants and replies thereto need not be made as between the defendants and that any cross-claim, counterclaim, or matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative defense contained therein shall be deemed to be denied or avoided by all other parties and that the filing of any such pleading and service thereof upon the plaintiff constitutes due notice of it to the parties. A copy of every such order shall be served upon the parties in such manner and form as the court directs. (d)Filing; certificate of service. –
(1) All papers after the complaint required to be served upon a party together with a certificate of service, shall be filed with the court within a reasonable time after service. (2) Unless filing is required by the court on motion or upon its own initiative, depositions, interrogatories, requests for admissions, requests for production and entry, and answers and responses thereto shall not be filed. Unless required to be filed for issuance of a subpoena for a deposition, a notice of deposition need not be filed. Certificates of service of discovery materials shall be filed. (3) Unless otherwise stipulated or ordered, the party taking the deposition or obtaining any material through discovery is responsible for its custody, preservation, and delivery to the court if needed or ordered. Such responsibility shall not terminate until one year after final disposition of the action. The responsibility shall not terminate upon dismissal of any party while the action is pending. The custodial responsibility of a dismissed party may be discharged by stipulation of the parties to transfer the custody of the discovered material to one or more of the remaining parties. (e)Filing with the court defined. – The filing of papers with the court as required by these rules shall be made by filing them with the clerk of the court, who shall note thereon the filing date, except that the judge may permit the papers to be filed with the judge, in which event the judge shall note thereon the filing date and forthwith transmit them to the office of the clerk; the notation by the clerk or the judge of the filing date on any such paper constitutes the filing of such paper, and such paper then becomes a part of the record in the action without any order of the court. Filing by facsimile is permitted pursuant to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Rules for Filing and Service by Facsimile Transmission. Electronic filing and service is permitted in limited circumstances pursuant to Trial Court Rule 15.
