What effect does accepting service of process have on the time to respond?

Accepting service of process does not affect the established time limit for the defendant to respond to a legal complaint. When a defendant is served with process, they are provided with a specified period—typically 20 days in Arizona, including Maricopa County—to file a response or answer in court. This timeline remains consistent regardless of whether the service was accepted or contested. As a result, once service has been properly executed, the defendant's obligation to respond within the stipulated time frame remains unchanged, leading to the conclusion that it has no effect on the response time. Understanding this aspect is critical for both process servers and defendants to ensure compliance with court deadlines and procedural requirements.