20-99.1:1 - How defendant may accept service; waive service - Virginia Statutes

§ 20-99.1:1. How defendant may accept service; waive service.

A. A defendant in such suits may accept service of process by signing theproof of service before any officer authorized to administer oaths. Thisproof of service shall, when filed with the papers in the suit, have the sameeffect as if it had been served upon the defendant by a person authorized toserve process. In addition, service of process may be accepted or waived byany party, upon voluntary execution of a notarized writing specifying anintent to accept or waive any particular process, or by a defendant by filingan answer in the suit. Such notarized writing may be provided in the clerk'soffice of any circuit court and may be signed by such party to theproceedings before any clerk or deputy clerk of any circuit court, underoath, or may be drafted and filed by counsel in the proceeding, and shall,when filed with the papers in the suit, have the same effect as if theprocess specified had been personally served upon the defendant by a personauthorized to serve process. The court may enter any order or decree withoutfurther notice unless a defendant has filed an answer in the suit.

B. When service is accepted pursuant to this section by a nonresident personout of the Commonwealth, such service shall have the same effect as an orderof publication duly executed.

C. Any process served outside the Commonwealth executed in such manner asprovided for in this section is validated.

(1988, c. 583; 1989, c. 562; 1992, c. 563.)