Nicky Voynick, case manager for Sechler Law Firm in Mars, hands out power of attorney paperwork for Chris Mills, left, and her parents, Shirley and George Bolt. The law firm began offereing drive-through notary of legal documents on Friday.

MARS — Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was customary for clients to go to companies to conduct business.

Now, some companies are taking business to their clients. Or at least, meeting them in the parking lot.

Sechler Law Firm in Mars helped clients tie up loose ends Friday by offering “drive-through” signature services.

“We're just bringing the signature pages to the car,” said Tim Sechler, who runs the estate planning practice.

Chris Mills of Cabot accompanied her octogenarian parents Friday to get papers signed.

“They had begun this process before the whole COVID-19,” Mills said. “We wanted to make sure (this) was something that would not put them at risk.”

For Mills, the drive-by signing was a matter of rolling down a window. Her parents had their signatures witnessed and notarized from the safety of Mills' backseat.

Having the chance to complete documentation they started in April allowed them to move forward with their lives.

“Things just don't stop because this is happening,” Mills said. “There was this necessity to get this over.”

Because Sechler's firm deals in end-of-life planning like estate and will law, it was granted a waiver by the state to remain open during the stay-at-home order.

Employees work from home most days. But starting this month, Sechler plans to offer signature services in-person on Fridays to make up for time lost in March and April.

This is an excerpt from a story that appeared in Monday's Butler Eagle.