The responsibility of a statutory agent is the same as that for a registered agent or resident agent. In many states the terms are interchangeable. The term, "statutory agent" is considered an older term for "registered agent," which is much more widely used today. A statutory agent is responsible for receiving all legal documents for a business entity. He/she is the one who helps maintain the "legal face" of a firm.

The importance of the statutory agent is to maintain privacy in regards to legal business matters, comply with time frame requirements and most importantly notify the business immediately in the event that they are sued or summoned. Skipping a court filing will result in either financial penalties or a default or both. Not paying attention to legal documents is a great way to run a business right into the ground.

Having a third party statutory agent is a consideration worth contemplating. If choosing this option, it leaves a business with easy mobility. Meaning that if a business so chooses to move to another location, there is no need for re-filing with the State to update the registered address for the statutory agent.

This also saves in filing costs, neither do you have to worry anymore about where the legal documents are being sent. In fact, a business without a statutory agent is considered not being in "good standing" -legally speaking, and it's legal status can be revoked.

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