The Civil Process Unit is a sub-division of the Investigations Division of the Marathon County Sheriff's Office. The unit's primary function is the "service of process."

Civil process is defined as "the writ or mandate that serves as the means used for bringing a defendant to court to answer in an action or proceeding, civil or criminal." It is the responsibility of the Sheriff's Office to serve or execute according to law, all processes, writs, precepts, and orders issued or made by lawful authority according to Wisconsin State Statute 59.27 (4).

In a broader sense, any writ, order, notice, summons, or other writing by which a court exercises its jurisdiction over the parties or subject matter of any action or proceeding, is called a process. The Marathon County Sheriff's Office serves an average of five thousand (5000) process papers a year.

Services offered by the civil process unit include, but are not limited to:

The service of:

• Subpoenas - An order for a witness to appear and testify, or produce documents. Failure to appear can be punished by contempt of court.
• Summons - A document issued when a lawsuit is filed stating the name of the plaintiff and defendant, the title of the case, the file number, and the contact information of each party and/or attorneys.
• Orders - A court order that requires a person to appear in court on a specific date and time. If the person fails to appear, the court may take action. Action can include being punished for being in contempt of court or ordering a bench warrant for that person's immediate arrest.
• Notices - A writing informing a party to a contract, promissory note, lease, rental agreement, or other legal relationship of a delinquency in payment, default, intent to foreclose, notice to pay rent or quit, or other notice required by the agreement, mortgage, deed of trust, or statute.