A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may utilize, for example, a method involving receiving from a first communication device a service request while providing back-up services to an out-of-service network element, detecting a deficiency in call state information to process the service request, transmitting to the first communication device an error message that prevents termination of an active Internet Protocol (IP) communication path between the first communication device and a second communication device, and receiving from the first communication device a request for an alternate IP communication path for communicating between the first and second communication devices which resolves the deficiency in call state information. Additional embodiments are disclosed.