Question: How should we decide on which side each of us should receive?
Answer: Deciding on which side you and your partner should each receive involves many factors, including who is more consistent versus flashy and the strengths of your backhand and forehand volleys, but the most important factor is the return itself. Returning is difficult in doubles, and if you don't get the return back well, other considerations never come into play.
At the intermediate and lower levels, most serves go out wide, so you should put your stronger returning strokes on the outside. For a righty and lefty team with stronger forehands than backhands, for example, you would play with the forehands to the outside.
At the advanced level, more serves (and other balls) will go down the middle, and that's where you want each partner's stronger strokes.
