Accessory
Agreement by a defendant (or attorney) in a legal action to accept a complaint or other petition without having the sheriff or process server show up at the door. The agreement of “acceptance of service” must be in writing or there is no proof that it happened. In most jurisdictions, there is a form entitled “receipt and acknowledgment of acceptance of service” or similar language which must be signed, dated, and sent back to the attorney who sent the complaint or petition.