Submitted by UCS on October 6, 2017
A registered agent serves as the captain of your team. He or she is essentially a named third party who holds a number of responsibilities and performs various duties on behalf of your business. Depending on the state in which your entity is registered, having a registered agent may or may not be required by law. Either way, it is highly recommended that you consider having a registered agent to help preserve the smooth sailing of your corporation or LLC.
It is the job of the registered agent to act as the receiving party to a legal action. Service of process is the first step in a potential lawsuit, initiating legal action through the delivery of a complaint against a defending party. The registered agent is responsible for forwarding SOP to your entity in a safe and timely manner to inform the entity of a pending lawsuit or summons. In addition, the registered agent is charged with relaying correspondence from the Secretary of State and other governmental agencies.
Quite often the registered agent is an individual associated with the operation of the business and at other times they are a third party. While it is possible to serve as the registered agent of your own business, it is advisable that you designate a third party. Assigning a third party gives your company the flexibility to:
The job of the registered agent is to maintain peace of mind that the all your bases have been covered. Depending on state law a registered agent can typically be any resident of the state (business accountant, attorney, corporate officer) in which the business is formed.
For more information regarding the role served by a registered agent, feel free to consult our website by clicking here or by calling us at (800) 899-8648 to speak to a United Corporate representative over the phone.
