The Best Notary

The Best Notary: outsourced notary services for estate planning law firms

The Best Notary is a U.S. company specializing in outsourcing notarial signings and related administrative tasks for law firms, with a particular focus on estate planning. Its offering is structured as a comprehensive back office that manages document preparation, appointment coordination, identity verification, witness qualification, and recording of notarial sessions, whether remote, in-person, or hybrid.

Signing options and nationwide coverage

The company offers three service formats. In the remote option, digital signatures are notarized via video conference, with no need to travel. In the in-person option, it provides instant appointments throughout the United States with vetted notaries and real-time location tracking on the day of the appointment. The hybrid option combines both: the client wet-signs the will on paper and the rest of the estate plan is signed electronically, with a mobile notary who comes to the home with the printed will and a laptop.

The service is available nationwide. Although the company notes a focus on California, its notary network covers all 50 states, including Guam and Puerto Rico. Its database exceeds 60,000 notaries, with team members who have more than a decade of experience and high average tenure.

Document and administrative management

The Best Notary handles complete document preparation, pre-signing review of every page, identity verification, and witness qualification. After signing, it delivers three sets of notarized documents: individual files to submit as needed, a secure file with an IP address audit trail, and the complete estate planning package. The company also handles administrative tasks such as deed recording.

Signings average 10 to 15 minutes. Booking is done through Calendly, and appointment tracking is updated on the day of signing with a system similar to ride-hailing apps.

Remote Online Notarization (RON)

Remote Online Notarization (RON) allows notarized deeds to be filed electronically immediately in most counties. The resulting document is a secure PDF with a digital audit trail and verifiable electronic signatures, and the video recording of the notarization is stored indefinitely.

The company explains that RON debuted in Virginia in 2011 and has been adopted in more than 40 states. Thanks to state legislation governing out-of-state notarizations, a RON-notarized document can be accepted in a state that does not yet allow online notarization. The Best Notary manages this process through to deed recording.

Client profile and benefits for law firms

The service is aimed at law firms that want to outsource signings and related administrative functions. Among the benefits the company highlights are reduced malpractice risk through review of typos in names, addresses, formats, and footers; elimination of hiring headaches, since the most experienced team members have been with the company for over a decade; and freeing up billable hours by moving signings outside the office.

The company also mentions that clients who sign their documents at home are more likely to refer the firm to friends and family statewide. It also offers access to a network of advisors and consultants in areas such as pricing, video, marketing, and leveraging artificial intelligence.

Clio integration and WealthCounsel endorsement

The Best Notary helps firms evaluate Clio products through personalized demos, onboarding, and custom integrations with its platform or other tools in the client's tech stack. The company states it has a direct line to Clio's partnerships team and can co-host events throughout the United States. It specifically mentions Clio Work, Draft, and Clio Library.

The company is endorsed by WealthCounsel, LLC. Members of this organization can find a special offer for the Document Concierge Starter package in the WealthCounsel Marketplace, subject to availability.

Team and notary network

The company highlights several professionals on its team. Rionia Hall has a background in human resources and is studying psychology, and describes herself as a trauma-informed notary. John Roach is the in-house notary based at the San Mateo (California) headquarters, with experience in surveying and drafting, and is responsible for preparing documents and assembling client binders. Eve Grumish, based in San Francisco, comes from the biotech industry and has extensive experience in all types of notarizations.

The company states that all of its top-tier notaries are vetted for customer service, patience, and technological skills.

FAQs about notarial practice

The company clarifies that it offers in-person signings with a mobile notary and one or two additional witnesses if needed, as well as RON signings via Zoom with a notary located in one of the 47 states that allow this option, with one or two remote witnesses for the will. The hybrid option combines both.

Regarding the legality of online notarization in California, it cites California Civil Code Section 1189[b], which states that notarizations lawfully completed in other states are valid in California. The company can arrange appointments with notaries in states such as Virginia, Texas, and Nevada, who are authorized to notarize out-of-state signers, even if they are anywhere in the world. As for California's thumbprint requirement for deeds and powers of attorney, it notes that it does not apply when documents are notarized via RON with an out-of-state notary, since more advanced digital identification methods are used, such as knowledge-based authentication (KBA) and credential analysis, in addition to video recording of the entire session.