LegalZoom Registered Agent Review 2024
Is It the Best Registered Agent Service?
Last Updated: By TRUiC Team
Does your business require registered agent services but you don’t know who offers the best value for your dollar? A registered agent is a person or business authorized to receive legal documents on behalf of a company. Appointing a registered agent is required when forming a business entity like a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation.
To supplement your own research, we invested hours researching the ins and outs of every popular registered agent service. In this LegalZoom registered agent review, we'll go over some pros and cons, pricing, features, customer feedback, and more. Read on to find out if it's the best registered agent service for you!
Recommended: Check out our list of the best registered agent services.
LegalZoom Pros & Cons
Pros
- With LegalZoom, you get more than just document forwarding. As your registered agent, they also provide a Compliance Calendar to notify you of important filing deadlines, scan and copy all docs, and inform you immediately by phone if you receive a court summons.
- They serve an incredible volume of customers, with nearly 4 million customers served since 1999. LegalZoom is one of the most popular online legal services around.
- Their satisfaction guarantee gives you the option of a full refund of all fees paid to LegalZoom within 60 days of purchase, no questions asked.
Cons
- If saving money is your top priority, LegalZoom might not be your best option. There are more affordable alternatives with more features like Northwest Registered Agent, which is $125/year. With Northwest's LLC formation package, you can get a full year of included registered agent services.
- Customer feedback is a mixed bag, which isn’t surprising for a company so large. The higher the volume of customers, the higher the odds some of them won’t be satisfied.
LegalZoom Registered Agent Alternative
We recommend Northwest Registered Agent because they provide knowledgeable customer service and an affordable price. Read Review
LegalZoom Registered Agent Pricing & Features
LegalZoom’s registered agent service has a straightforward $249 annual fee with no optional features or additional fees. While many competitors can beat their prices, LegalZoom does provide some additional features beyond simple document forwarding.
In addition to allowing you to set your own business hours, a registered agent provides you with a layer of privacy as an owner and helps avoid fines. LegalZoom offers a bit more.
They provide a courtesy call prior to sending any court documents, and the Compliance Calendar makes sure you never miss a deadline. Not all of their competitors provide these features at no extra charge, and some providers don’t offer them at all.
LegalZoom is more expensive than many competitors but you are getting more of a premium registered agent service compared to some other providers.
Customer Reviews
Feedback for LegalZoom is a bit of a mixed bag from their many customers. The issues mentioned in their more critical reviews are pretty typical of a company this size: inconsistent customer service, billing issues, etc. As for their happy customers, they praise LegalZoom’s efficiency and thank specific support reps for their assistance.
Customer Reviews Section Last Updated December 2023
- SiteJabber: 3.86/5 out of 1,689 reviews
- BBB: 4.64/5 out of 6,788 reviews
- Consumer Affairs: 4.3/5 out of 2,533 reviews
Conclusion: LegalZoom has hundreds of customer reviews to read through, and they’re basically split down the middle between satisfied and critical customers.
How LegalZoom Compares
LegalZoom is certainly one of the most popular registered agent service and business formation service on the market, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the right choice for you.
We highly recommend comparing their pricing, features and other essential qualities to some other providers before settling on one.
To round out this LegalZoom review, let’s see how they compare to our personal favorite: Northwest Registered Agent.
Pricing:
LegalZoom charges significantly more than Northwest for the same service. LegalZoom’s registered agent costs is $299/year, while Northwest's costs $125. Why? Brand power – nothing more.
Features:
If you place their offerings side by side, you’ll notice that both companies offer a very similar service, Northwest just does it for a lot less. Northwest also provides premium features like data privacy protection, local document scans, and more.
Customer Support
In our experience, both LegalZoom and Northwest have good customer support. Their reps are friendly, knowledgeable, and dedicated to troubleshooting customer issues. However, Northwest really excels in this area. Their experienced business experts, called Corporate Guides®, offer expert support throughout your business journey.
Northwest
$125/year
The same service, for less
Perfect for: Anyone wanting to work with a seriously trustworthy company for a great price.
LegalZoom
$249/year
Offers many legal services
Perfect for: Anyone wanting to keep everything on LegalZoom
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a registered agent?
A registered agent is a responsible third-party in the same state as your business who is designated to receive service of process notices, correspondence from the Secretary of State, and other official government notifications, typically tax forms and notice of lawsuits. It's essential for your registered agent to have a physical address (not a P.O. Box) in the state where your business is registered and to be available during regular business hours to accept legal documents on behalf of your company.
Can I act as my own registered agent?
In some states, you can designate your own registered agent from within your company. Acting as your own agent involves being available during regular business hours at this address to receive legal documents and official notices. It's important to note that while this can be convenient, it also means that any legal documents, including potentially sensitive ones, will be delivered to your business address. In others, you’ll need to either work with a private accredited individual, or top registered agent services like LegalZoom.
Is LegalZoom legit?
Yes, LegalZoom is a legitimate online service widely recognized for offering legal assistance to entrepreneurs. It provides a variety of legal services, such as new business formation, legal document preparation, and trademark filings.
What are the benefits of hiring a third-party registered agent service?
Hiring a third-party registered agent service offers several benefits for your business, including but not limited to:
- Reduced Junk Mail: A third-party agent can help filter out irrelevant mail, ensuring that you receive only important, time-sensitive materials. This can save time and reduce clutter.
- Privacy & Discretion: By designating a registered agent service, you can maintain a level of privacy. Legal and government correspondence will be sent to the agent's address instead of your business location, which can be particularly beneficial if you operate from home or a shared office space.
- Additional Services: Many registered agent services offer additional support like compliance alerts, document organization, and assistance with annual report filings, which can be invaluable for busy business owners.
What other services does LegalZoom offer?
LegalZoom offers a wide array of services tailored to support various business entities. These include:
- Formation of Business Entities: Assistance with setting up an LLC, C corp, or nonprofit, ensuring state compliance.
- Unlimited Cloud Storage: Secure cloud storage for easy access to business documents.
- Operating Agreement and Bylaw Preparation: Preparation of essential documents like operating agreements for LLCs and bylaws for corporations.
- Annual Report Assistance: Help with preparing and filing annual reports to maintain good standing with the state.
What is LegalZoom's refund policy?
LegalZoom's refund policy is centered around their 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are not satisfied with their services, you can request a refund within 60 days of your purchase.
What happens if I don’t have a registered agent?
Operating a business without a reliable registered agent isn’t advised. You could be prohibited from doing business, fall out of good standing with your state of formation, lose limited liability status or even face stiff fines. In short, it’s not worth the risk.
Can I change registered agents?
Yes you can, but check with your state on what their process is. You might need to fill out state-specific documents or pay a change fee.
Should You Use LegalZoom?
LegalZoom gets a 4.3/5 for their registered agent services. We appreciate their advanced features like Compliance Calendar, and their volume of customers is impressive. To see how LegalZoom stacks up with other top registered agents, by checking out our Best Registered Agent Services review.
