Legal Definitions - accept service

ACCEPT SERVICE

Accept service means to agree that a legal document, such as a summons or complaint, has been properly delivered to you, even if it has not been. This is also known as accepting service of process.

Example 1: John is being sued for breach of contract. He receives a document that looks like a legal complaint, but he doesn't want to deal with the lawsuit. Instead of contesting the validity of the document, he decides to accept service and not respond to the lawsuit.

Example 2: Mary is going through a divorce. Her husband's lawyer sends her a summons to appear in court, but she never receives it. However, when she finds out about the court date, she decides to accept service and show up in court.

Accepting service means acknowledging that you have received a legal document, even if you haven't actually received it. This can be done to avoid the hassle of contesting the validity of the document or to comply with legal requirements. In the examples given, John accepts service to avoid dealing with the lawsuit, while Mary accepts service to comply with the court's order.