Estate planning firms often face administrative burdens that divert staff from higher-value work. Assembling trust binders, printing documents, organizing tabs, and arranging delivery to signers can consume significant time and resources. Prestige, a company founded in 2015 by Jennifer Garland, has announced a new service designed to alleviate these burdens. The estate planning signing support service combines document printing, binder assembly, and delivery by a notary to the signer. Initially developed for a single estate planning firm that was assembling tabbed trust binders internally and paying for shipping, the service is now offered broadly through Prestige Notaries. This expansion matters because it reflects a growing trend of outsourcing non-core tasks in professional services, allowing firms to focus on legal expertise while relying on specialized providers for logistics.
The service originated when Prestige took over responsibility for ordering binders and tabs, printing documents, organizing and sealing materials, and arranging for a notary to bring the completed package to the signer. Under this arrangement, the estate planning firm no longer needed to assemble binders or absorb shipping costs. By integrating these preparation tasks into the signing assignment, Prestige reduces the administrative workload for firm staff. This approach aligns with a philosophy described by Jennifer Garland, founder, President and CEO of Prestige Companies, who emphasizes listening to client needs and building support around them. The fact that a process created for one firm became a broader service highlights how targeted solutions can evolve into scalable offerings.
Prestige's entry into this niche is backed by its extensive notary network, which includes more than 260,000 notaries across all 50 states. The company serves banks, corporations, and law firms, and its notaries are independent small business owners. Garland's approach focuses on helping these professionals become self-sufficient contractors rather than dependent on the company. This model ensures that notaries receive clear expectations, access to resources, and ongoing communication with the service team. For estate planning firms, this means access to vetted professionals who can handle document delivery reliably, regardless of location.
Legal requirements for notarization vary by state, and Prestige has built a library of state-by-state guides to help its team navigate jurisdiction-specific rules. This resource, combined with standard operating procedures and consistent vetting, supports assignments across state lines. The company's track record includes complex logistical feats, such as arranging for a notary to travel by float plane to a remote Alaskan island and coordinating a commercial signing with 17 signers across five cities and three time zones. These examples demonstrate Prestige's capacity to manage intricate coordination, which is essential for estate planning signings that may involve multiple parties and tight deadlines.
By offering this service, Prestige is positioning itself as a comprehensive solution for estate planning firms seeking to streamline operations. The service not only handles physical document preparation but also integrates shipment tracking within Prestige's platform, allowing firms to monitor progress without contacting carriers. This level of coordination can reduce errors and delays, which is critical in estate planning where timeliness and accuracy are paramount. As firms increasingly seek efficiency, Prestige's move could pressure competitors to offer similar bundled services, potentially reshaping how estate planning practices manage signings.
For more information, visit Prestige.
