Service of Process
Meet service of process obligations quickly and reliably
Service of process (SOP) plays a critical role in upholding due process, ensuring lawsuits and legal proceedings are fair, transparent, and legally sound. SOP provides proper notice of legal actions, such as complaints, summons, or subpoenas, preserving the rights of individuals and business entities involved.
Without effective SOP management, companies risk missed deadlines, default judgments, and noncompliance with state requirements.
As your registered agent for SOP, CSC ensures proper delivery and prompt notification of legal documents. Our established network of agent offices, investment in document scanning and digital infrastructure help reduce risk and support compliance. CSC helps ensure limited liability companies (LLCs) and corporations remain in good standing.
CSC provides SOP representation in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and more than 140 jurisdictions worldwide. Whether operating domestically or internationally, CSC helps ensure your business is served properly and remains compliant in every required location.
Exceptional service
Our full-time, highly trained SOP team handles all legal documents, including summons, complaints, and court papers, entirely in house, we never outsource our processing. By managing your SOP from a secure office, we help ensure your business consistently meets regulatory requirements.
Robust technology
We scan, compress, and optimize all incoming service documents using advanced optical character recognition (OCR) technology. Each file is time stamped and delivered electronically, enabling fast retrieval and search capability. Whether you're managing a legal notice or form filing, we help to ensures you don’t miss critical deadlines.
Highest level of data security
CSC maintains SOP-related applications, records, and data on our own secure servers. Located in ISO 27001-certified facilities, these systems are reviewed annually through independent SOC 2® Type II audits. Your sensitive legal documents are protected against unauthorized access, ensuring ongoing compliance and risk mitigation.
Integration capabilities
CSC offers flexible integrations with systems like enterprise legal management (ELM), claims, and payroll via secure APIs. Whether responding to legal notices or managing operational workflows, our seamless delivery and integration options help streamline SOP processes, helping to keep your business efficient, compliant, and focused.
Learn more about our integration capabilities
Technology
CSCNavigator
CSCNavigatorSM is our proprietary secure hub for our unified legal and compliance management network of solutions, powering CSC corporate compliance solutions, entity and matter management, SOP, annual reports, and business licenses.
Learn more about entity CSCNavigator
Related services
CSC SOP Pro
CSC SOP Pro® is an advanced SOP management platform designed for high-volume legal teams. It offers automated intake, routing, and delivery of SOP documents with full visibility and audit tracking. By integrating with ELM and claims systems, SOP Pro streamlines process service, reduces risks from missed deadlines, and ensures compliance with legal notice and document service requirements across all jurisdictions.
Matter management
CSC Matter ManagementSM centralizes legal matters, such as litigation, regulatory filings, and subpoenas, into a single, secure platform. By connecting directly to your SOP workflow, it enables faster legal response times, more efficient case tracking, and enhanced collaboration across departments. Perfect for organizations looking to integrate legal operations, reduce risk, and maintain control over legal document life cycles.
Related resources
How to Scale and Evolve Your Service of Process
Explore how to scale SOP as your business grows. Learn how technology, automation, and flexible strategies help reduce risk, streamline handling, and support legal operations across the enterprise.
Service of Process Management for Busy Counsel
Discover time-saving SOP tips for legal teams. This report-based blog covers centralization, automation, and audit tracking to help ensure litigation readiness and eDiscovery compliance.
How to Change Your Registered Agent with Confidence
Changing registered agents? Learn how to ensure uninterrupted SOP delivery during transitions, and what to look for in a reliable agent, from technology to process support.
Dependability Without Compromise: Why CSC’s Registered Agent and Entity Management Services Go Hand-in-Hand
See how combining registered agent and entity management services enhances SOP, legal oversight, and compliance in every jurisdiction.
Webinars to watch
Putting Process Back into Service of Process
This webinar shares best practices for SOP handling and process service. Learn how CSC supports legal teams in meeting regulatory obligations across all states.
More than Checking the Box: A Complete Registered Agent Solution
See how CSC transforms registered agent services with centralized SOP, legal workflow integration, and tracking tools: giving legal teams more control, visibility, and proactive compliance.
Getting Started with Enterprise Legal Management
This webinar covers ELM basics and how integrating SOP data can improve matter management, workflows, and legal spend tracking, ideal for teams modernizing legal operations.
FAQs
SOP is the formal legal procedure by which one party provides legal notice to another party, typically to notify them of the initiation of a lawsuit or other legal proceeding. This ensures due process by giving individuals or business entities the opportunity to respond appropriately within a legally mandated time frame. SOP documents may include summons, complaints, subpoenas, wage garnishments, bankruptcy notices, foreclosure filings, and other legal documents issued by courts or administrative bodies. Proper SOP is essential to remain in compliance with state and federal statutes.
To find an agent for SOP, you should begin by checking with your state’s Division of Corporations or secretary of state. Most states require that a registered agent be appointed and officially listed when forming or maintaining a business entity such as an LLC or corporation. A registered agent must be available during normal business hours at a physical registered office to receive legal documents, court papers, and official notices. Many companies choose a professional registered agent service provider like CSC to ensure reliability, privacy, and multi-jurisdiction coverage across all 50 U.S. states and beyond.
To change your registered agent for SOP, you'll typically need to file a statement of change or amended formation document with the secretary of state in each applicable jurisdiction. You may also need to notify your current agent and pay a filing fee. A reputable registered agent service provider like CSC can handle this transition on your behalf, ensuring uninterrupted service and seamless compliance with state requirements. It's important to ensure your business or organization never misses a SOP delivery, as doing so could result in default judgments or other legal consequences.
Typically, to change agents for SOP, you must notify your current registered agent service provider or contact the secretary of state.
The cost of hiring a registered agent for SOP varies depending on factors such as the number of entities you operate, the jurisdictions in which they’re registered, and the volume of legal documents received. Pricing typically ranges from a few hundred dollars annually for basic SOP agent services to higher fees for value-added features like real-time alerts, document scanning, compliance monitoring, or global coverage. CSC offers customizable SOP solutions to meet the needs of both small businesses and large multinational corporations.
Yes. CSC maintains a national and international network of agent offices to support service of process delivery in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and over 140 jurisdictions globally. Our registered office locations are listed here, where you can find detailed information about our coverage, registered agent services, and local compliance capabilities.