The company itself · A term for founders abroad
What is service of process?
The formal delivery of a lawsuit or legal notice to a company, made to its registered agent so the company can't claim it never knew.
Checked against the IRS's instructions and the states' own rules. Reviewed by Saais Patel, compliance reviewer.
Term 92 of 105 in the glossary, filed under S.Every term, A to Z
Service of process, for a founder abroad.
When someone sues a company, the papers are delivered to its registered agent, who passes them on to the owners. Delivery to the agent counts as delivery to the company, whether or not the owners read it.
If the agent can't be found, a case can go ahead without the company knowing, and a court can decide against it by default. That's the whole reason the agent exists, and why a lapsed agent is a bigger risk than a missed fee.
What founders ask next.
- What does a registered agent do when it receives legal papers?
- It accepts them, records the date and sends them on to the company straight away, usually by scan and email. A deadline to respond often starts from that date.
- Can legal papers be served on me abroad instead?
- They're served on the company through its agent in the state. That's what lets a US court reach a company whose owners live elsewhere.
03 · See also
- The company itselfRegistered agentThe person or company with a street address in the state who receives legal papers and state notices for a company during business hours.Read the term
- The company itselfLLCA US company whose owners aren't personally liable for its debts, and whose profit is taxed once, to the owners, unless it elects otherwise.Read the term
- The company itselfC-CorporationA US corporation taxed on its own profit, which issues stock and is what US investors' paperwork assumes; usually formed in Delaware.Read the term
- The company itselfS-CorporationA tax election that lets a US corporation or LLC pass its profit through to its owners; not available if any owner is a non-resident alien.Read the term
Ready when you are
Answer the questions. We do the filing.
It takes about four minutes. You see the whole order, Wyoming fee included, before anything is charged.
You're startingLLC · WY
Start a companyLaunch · $351.40 · Wyoming fee included