Estate

planning

Secure Estate Planning Documents From Creation to Long‑Term Retention

Estate‑planning attorneys are entrusted with some of their clients’ most important legal documents—wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and estate files that must remain secure, accessible, and preserved for years or decades. Proper document custody is essential to protecting client intent and reducing risk.

National Archives provides end‑to‑end record management services for estate‑planning law firms through:

This ensures estate‑planning files are protected, traceable, and accessible throughout their full lifecycle—from creation to retention and final disposition.

Trusted by Legal Professionals Across Long Island and New York

For decades, National Archives has partnered with law firms across Long Island and the New York metro area to provide secure, compliant record‑management services tailored to professional practices.

Secure Vault Storage

Original estate documents require controlled, professional storage. Loss or damage can delay probate, expose firms to liability, and jeopardize client wishes.

National Archives offers climate‑controlled, off‑site vault storage at our Garden City, NY facility, designed for confidential legal records. Every file is itemized, tracked, and protected, establishing a documented chain of custody from pickup through retention.

Benefits for estate‑planning firms include:

  • Protection of original wills and trusts

  • Reduced on‑site file storage

  • Secure, compliant long‑term retention

  • Rapid retrieval of originals when required

Document Scanning

While original documents must often be retained in paper form, estate‑planning firms need the ability to quickly access documents without handling originals.

Our professional document scanning services convert estate files into searchable digital formats for secure access and long‑term preservation. Files can be scanned during intake, archived scanning projects, or on demand after storage, allowing firms to digitize at their own pace.

Document scanning helps estate practices:

  • Access estate records instantly

  • Reduce physical handling of originals

  • Preserve records digitally for disaster recovery

Web‑Based Inventory Management

Estate‑planning attorneys need visibility and control over stored files. With National Archives’ Web IMS, firms can securely manage physical and digital estate records through a web browser.

Web IMS allows authorized users to:

  • Search stored estate files online

  • View detailed inventories and chain of custody

  • Request file delivery or scanning

  • Track retention and service activity

  • Control access with unique user logins

This system enables attorneys to maintain oversight of estate records without maintaining on‑site archives.