Changing your company’s service providers is never easy. And when the provider is your network of registered agents—the offices that enable your company to operate in good standing in each state or jurisdiction—the stakes in changing are high. Despite the long-term benefits in reliability, security, and service, you may be concerned about the short-term risks of missed filings and legal documents gone astray.
But it is possible to change your registered agent with confidence—if you choose the right provider.
What it takes to change your registered agent
Make the change-of-agent process a key priority as you evaluate potential new agents. Your new registered agent should be able to provide a clear plan to manage the transfer of agency—and the related service of process functions—including:
- Understanding the scope. Your company is likely to have many entities, doing business as (DBAs) names, and affiliates in the jurisdictions where you operate. A prospective agent should have the necessary tools to identify all your relevant entities and establish their filing status and standing in every state.
- A dedicated team. You need to know who’s managing your change of agent process and who’s accountable for the outcome. Your prospective agent should provide a dedicated onboarding project manager, backed by all the necessary resources, to make the transition smooth.
- Clear procedures. You should never wonder about the status of your registered agent relationship in any jurisdiction. Your prospective agent should provide a thorough plan, with detailed lines of authority, spelling out how and when each step will take place. That includes managing a clear, clean handoff from your existing agent, ensuring that there’s no gap in your representation.
- Speed in execution. Once your new agent has identified all your entities and their status, a quick transition is vital to ensure nothing is lost in the handoff. Require your prospective agent to meet a tight timeline to carry out new registrations and take control of your service of process.
- Outstanding service. In a delicate operation like this, you need absolute confidence that your new agent will respond promptly to tackle any problems that arise.
A clear roadmap to a seamless registered agent transition
At CSC, we have helped many companies through the process of changing their registered agents. We’ve developed the experience and the specialized tools needed to make the process as seamless as possible. Each new client receives a complimentary audit of all its entities—including, frequently, some that the company itself has long since forgotten—to establish their status and the information needed to file the change of agent.
This roadmap provides each client with confidence that the transition will be smooth and supported by CSC’s dedicated team of experts.
How CSC can help
If it’s time for your company to evaluate your registered agent and service of process providers, you’ll need a partner that lets you proceed with confidence, helping you avoid missed filings, legal documents gone astray, and other pitfalls. Find out more about CSC’s Registered Agent and Service of Process services. Learn how CSC can help and why clients change their agent to CSC. Contact us to start the process of a smooth transition to a higher level of service, certainty, and security.
