Meet Trust Trailblazer Julia Rodgers

As a divorce attorney at a top family law firm in Boston, Julia Rodgers understood the challenges couples faced when seeking prenuptial agreements. The high cost of hiring attorneys, unpredictable pricing, and the time-consuming process of negotiating through attorneys often left engaged couples feeling emotionally exhausted and financially drained. Julia recognized that the traditional process was broken and that couples did not want to feel stressed during one of the most exciting chapters of their lives.

Julia also knew from her experience with divorce cases that prenups have the power to improve marriages, and she wanted to ensure that this benefit was not overshadowed by the intimidating process of hiring divorce attorneys. Inspired by her clients, Julia sought to leverage technology to create a more collaborative, cost-effective, and timely solution that empowered couples.

Her co-founder, Sarabeth Jaffe, was an engaged software developer from Seattle who encountered similar frustrations when trying to find an attorney for her own prenup. Sarabeth found the process of calling divorce attorneys intimidating and was shocked by the high retainer fees and variable pricing. She believed there had to be a better solution and reached out to Julia. Together, they created the first platform to make prenuptial agreements affordable, approachable, and accessible for all couples, regardless of net worth or goals.

How did being on Shark Tank help your business?

Shark Tank played a crucial role in our success. The show provided a national platform to normalize a traditionally taboo topic, making it accessible to all couples, not just the financially privileged. Our goal was to let couples know there’s a better, faster, smarter way to get a prenup and improve their marriages—without spending thousands of dollars or hours. Securing the backing of entrepreneurs and investors Kevin O’Leary and Nirav Tolia was a significant boost, helping propel our mission-driven business forward.

Tell us about the customers you usually work with. What are they like?

HelloPrenup has an incredible community of couples. I regularly meet with our couples to discuss their marital goals and get to know them personally. Across all these unique stories, the consistent traits are financial savvy, love, and responsibility. These couples value autonomy, want to make decisions for themselves, and see HelloPrenup as a way to take control of their financial future. They view a prenup as a financial-planning tool that opens communication, allowing them to discuss goals, fears, and anxieties, ultimately bringing them closer together. Above all, they are focused on maintaining love as the core of their relationship, regardless of life’s challenges.

Why did you decide to incorporate remote online notarization into your customer journey?

Notarization is essential for a prenup. The identity verification process and notarial stamp help ensure the document’s enforceability. More importantly, it’s the official process of signing the document together as a couple, recognizing and honoring the terms of their agreement. It’s the “I do before the official I do” that seals their goals and ambitions for their marriage, helping couples feel truly aligned before getting married.

How have your customers responded to using RON?

HelloPrenup couples value convenience and efficiency. The overwhelming majority choose Proof and the remote online notarization (RON) process to e-sign and notarize their agreements. They appreciate the ease of not having to leave their HelloPrenup account or home to finalize their agreement. For those who opt out of RON, it’s usually due to a personal preference for in-person notarization.

What do you like specifically about using Proof?

When searching for a notarization partner, we prioritized finding a company that matched our mission-driven ethos of providing high-quality technology through an efficient, enjoyable user experience. After our first discovery call with the Proof team, it was clear they shared our mission. The team is knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely cares about their customers. We are thrilled to have partnered with them to support our couples.

How has online notarization changed your business overall, in terms of efficiency, customer experience, revenue?

Partnering with Proof allowed us to offer a trustworthy, efficient service to our couples. While our prenup process was already designed to be high-quality, approachable, and affordable, it lacked the same efficiency for finalizing the document. Now, customers feel more assured that their document meets legal enforceability requirements, providing peace of mind.

Do you have any advice for companies considering incorporating Proof into their workflows?

If you’re looking for a reputable, user-friendly platform to share with your customers, Proof is a great choice. Their team and technology are reliable and have brought comfort and support to both our team and our customers. The only thing I would have done differently is partner with them sooner.