Corporate/Business Registered Agents

Missouri law requires that each and every business entity which carries on business in the State — partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, etc. — have a registered agent. The registered agent may be either an individual, domestic corporation, or a foreign corporation authorized to do business in Missouri.
The basic purpose of the registered agent is to provide Missouri a contact should there be legal problems with the entity. From an attorney’s perspective, the registered agent’s biggest responsibility is to accept service of process on behalf of the business (i.e., documentation which initiates a lawsuit).
It is often a good idea to have a law firm or attorney serve as your registered agent. Once service of process is effectuated, within thirty (30) days an Answer must be filed upon the opposing party and in the appropriate court, or else a default judgment could be granted. Because days are often precious in responding to a lawsuit, it’s wise to have an attorney or law firm see the documentation immediately, rather than it being served on an owner of a business who then has to scramble for legal counsel.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any concerns about registered agents — or business/corporate formation and operation in general.

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