Service of Process is time-sensitive legal paperwork that gives your company official notice of a lawsuit. When an individual is sued it is easy to figure out who to give the legal papers to— that individual. But what about when it is a business entity such as a corporation, LLC, or LP? You cannot just go into a business and leave the papers with anyone who might work for the company. Service of Process can only be served on someone the rules and statutes say can be served. And, in general, that is only a responsible person who is likely to make sure those documents end up in the hands of someone who can file a timely legal response for the defendant.
In addition to receiving service of process in connection with a lawsuit against the business directly, the registered agent receives other mission-critical documents, such as:
- notice of garnishment proceedings against an employee
- litigation documents once the lawsuit is underway, including motions or requests to produce documents
- legal notices
- government correspondence, such as notices of annual report deadlines and tax notification other compliance-related documents
Although these documents might be very different, they all have one common element. Each one contains vital, time-sensitive information.