LegalZoom Registered Agent Review 2024
Searching for the best registered agent service to help your business stay compliant and meet important filing deadlines? Hiring a professional provider comes with many benefits, and we are dedicated to helping you find the right service for your company.
In this review, we’ll go over the details of LegalZoom’s registered agent features and platform to explain how it compares to others on the market.
Recommended: LegalZoom Registered Agent Services start at $249/year including mail forwarding.
What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent is also known as a resident agent or an agent for service of process in some states. They handle a lot of business mail and documentation, receive court paperwork when you’re being served, and protect you and your company’s privacy, amongst other things.
LegalZoom Registered Agent Overview
Our Approach:
For our LegalZoom registered agent services review, we focused on three main questions:
- Are LegalZoom's registered agent services a good deal?
- Is there a better deal?
- Who uses LegalZoom's registered agent services and how did they review their experience?
Answering these questions will help small business owners and entrepreneurs choose the best registered agent service to keep their business compliant with the law.
LegalZoom Registered Agent Summary
LegalZoom’s registered agent services are more expensive than other services offering the same, and even more high-quality, services. For instance, LegalZoom’s registered agent services start at $299 for the first year, while competitors such as Northwest's are only $125 per year.
Additionally, LegalZoom does not include a full year of registered agent services with LLC formation like ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent.
LegalZoom Pros
- LegalZoom is one of the most well-known LLC services, which gives them more brand power than other companies out there.
- LegalZoom offers more ongoing legal services than other companies.
LegalZoom Cons
- LegalZoom is on the more expensive side when it comes to registered agent services and LLC formation services.
LegalZoom Registered Agent Alternatives
There are many more reliable registered agent services that will save you both time and money. We highly recommend checking out Northwest's registered agent services. For $125 annually, you’ll receive registered agent service, online document access, data privacy protection, local document scanning, expert support, and more. Not to mention, if you form an LLC through Northwest, you’ll receive a full year of included registered agent services!
Need more details? Read on for a more in-depth breakdown and review of our research on LegalZoom registered agent services.
LegalZoom Registered Agent Pricing & Features
LegalZoom Registered Agent - $299/year
Features:
- Registered agent services
- Business data protection
- Compliance calendar
- Unlimited cloud storage
LegalZoom Registered Agent Customer Reviews
Because it is such an established company, LegalZoom reviews online are mixed. Some customers are fairly pleased with their services, while others complain of factors such as hidden fees.
Here are some examples of LegalZoom reviews (from ConsumerAffairs) by entrepreneurs and business owners who used the services:
“LegalZoom is a great way to start a business, especially if this is your first time and you don't have any experience. All the information is informative and you're able to reach out at any time and make sure that you have everything that you need. If you don't, they can send you documents. So, this was a very helpful process for me. I'm using my registered agent and smart employer services from LegalZoom. It was very simple to obtain and it didn't take long at all. I spoke with someone from customer service before to make sure billing was correct and their rep was very friendly, resolved the issue, and went straight to the point.”
“Charging $299 for a registering agent is overpriced. I was then told the fee would drop to $159 if I agreed to stay. What is so special about your service? My lawyer charge $100 a year for the same service with two other businesses I own. My business is small and paying $300 for a service that would never be used is crazy. The agent information to change was submitted on March 18th but of course it was never changed by the SOS because they were closed during the time. So now I have to resubmit everything in order to get my refund back on my credit card. They will not cancel the service until it is changed by the SOS. Complete ripoff and never again.”
“I saw an advertisement for LegalZoom and I heard about them from a couple of people. I heard that they are the fastest and most reliable, and I used them when I registered my company. I was pleased with them but the price was kind of high. I knew that they were going to charge me but I didn't know I could have gotten it cheaper. Still, I was satisfied with their service.”
Read our list of the 5 best registered agent services!
LegalZoom is one of the most recognizable registered agents in the country. Their package begins at $249/year and includes mail forwarding so you never miss any legal notices.
LegalZoom Registered Agent Review Ratings
We further analyzed what you should keep in mind before choosing LegalZoom as your registered agent service provider. We’ve separated these points into four topics, which are outlined below.
Cost Value - 3/5
LegalZoom has higher brand awareness, but also higher pricing, compared to other companies in the registered agent services industry. Even with LLC formation, LegalZoom’s registered agent services are still $249 per year, and you don’t receive free registered agent services for the first year like other companies offer.
Customer Service - 3.7/5
According to online LegalZoom reviews, some clients complain of a slower process and lack of communication. If customer reviews are important for you when deciding on a registered agent service, this may decrease your trust in LegalZoom.
Ease of Use - 3.7/5
All in all, the entire ordering process for registered agent services is fairly simple and straightforward. Additionally, LegalZoom’s website is easy to navigate when you are looking for specific information.
Included Features - 3/5
LegalZoom's registered agent services include features such as business data protection, a compliance calendar, and unlimited cloud storage. There are more affordable options, however, that provide the same quality, if not better, registered agent services and features.
Final Thoughts on LegalZoom
LegalZoom may be right for you if you value companies that carry more brand power and recognition. Otherwise, there are more affordable, high-quality registered agent services, such as our top-rated, Northwest.
We also recommend exploring even more options by reading our list of the 5 best registered agent services.
