For a claim form served in the United Kingdom, CPR 6.14 deems service to take place on the second business day after completion of the relevant step under CPR 7.5 — whichever method was used. For documents other than the claim form, CPR 6.26 applies and the answer varies by method, including a specific rule for electronic service sent after 4.30pm on a business day.
A business day under CPR 6.2(b) excludes Saturdays, Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day. Because time limits run from the deemed date rather than actual receipt, the calculation controls the defence deadline — and evidence of earlier or later actual delivery does not shift it.