A Different Path Into Estate Services

Most people don’t plan to build a career around probate and estate administration. For Jacob Schmalzle, the work began with a simple act of service at church.

Today, he is the founder of Spirit of Service (SOS), a company that handles estate executor and trustee responsibilities. But the idea didn’t start as a business plan.

It started with a neighbor who needed help.

“I play guitar at church and volunteer regularly,” Schmalzle says. “Someone in our church retirement community needed help planning for probate. I agreed to help before I even knew it was a paid role.”

That moment set a chain reaction in motion. The experience exposed him to the complicated world of estate planning and probate. It also showed him how confusing the process can be for families already dealing with grief.

Word spread quickly within the church community. Soon more people were asking for help.

What began as a favor slowly became something bigger.

The Personal Loss That Shaped His Career

Schmalzle’s connection to estate work deepened after a difficult period in his personal life.

Within a few months, he lost both his father and grandmother. His father, Pastor Bob, had been a major influence on his life and values.

The loss forced Schmalzle to navigate the estate process himself.

“After losing my father and grandmother within a few months, I was forced to learn the entire estate planning, probate, and trust process,” he says. “It was difficult to navigate without help, especially while grieving.”

That experience changed how he saw the industry.

Many families were facing the same situation. They had paperwork, legal steps, and financial decisions to manage while dealing with loss.

Schmalzle began to see estate administration not just as paperwork, but as a service that required empathy.

“I have true personal compassion for my clients,” he says. “No one should have to endure the stress of probate alone during an already difficult time.”

Why Probate Often Becomes Expensive

The probate process is often handled by lawyers, banks, or family members. In many cases, the person named executor in a will does not have the time or experience to manage the process.

When that happens, they frequently outsource the work.

Jacob Schmalzle noticed a pattern.

Probate cases can drag out for long periods. Professional fees often increase as the process slows.

“The role of executor is usually left to lawyers or banks,” he says. “Even when a child is named executor, they often lack the skills required and end up outsourcing the work.”

That observation helped shape the structure of his company.

The Creation of Spirit of Service

In 2025, Schmalzle formally launched Spirit of Service.

The company provides estate executor and trustee services, helping families manage probate and trust distributions. The business focuses on efficiency and clear administration.

Schmalzle says the goal is simple: reduce unnecessary delays and keep more value within the estate.

“Probate can get dragged out,” he says. “That often leads to unnecessary hourly billing on top of scale fees.”

Spirit of Service operates differently from many traditional firms.

The company charges no more than the state minimum executor fee of three percent. It also runs on a model designed to move cases forward quickly.

But the structure also includes something unusual in the estate services industry.

Blending Estate Work With Charitable Giving

From the beginning, Schmalzle wanted the company to reflect the values he grew up with.

His father’s work as a pastor shaped how he thinks about stewardship and service.

“My dad taught me to see Christ in others and serve when we are called,” Schmalzle says.

That mindset influenced how Spirit of Service operates.

The company donates 10 percent of its collected fees to a client’s church or chosen charity.

The idea is to build charitable giving into the legacy process itself.

“Many churches have estate planning programs,” Schmalzle says. “But when members need a third-party executor through probate, there hasn’t always been a service aligned with those values.”

Through the estates it has administered, the company reports donating more than $2 million to charitable causes.

For Schmalzle, those outcomes matter as much as the administrative work.

“Success is enabling a client to give more to their children while also giving to the church,” he says.

Building Credibility in the Fiduciary Field

The fiduciary services industry relies heavily on trust and professional standards.

To deepen his expertise, Schmalzle joined several professional groups focused on estate administration and after-loss services.

These include the Professional Fiduciary Council of Florida and Professionals of After Loss Services (PALS).

He says ongoing education is essential in a field where laws, procedures, and financial structures can change.

“I’ve joined these organizations to continue growing professionally,” he says. “The continuing education and support network are important.”

A Service-First Leadership Style

Despite building a growing business, Schmalzle still frames his work in simple terms.

For him, the company is an extension of the same instinct that led him to help his church neighbor years ago.

“I never expected to start SOS,” he says. “It was simply saying yes to a call to serve and trying to keep my feet moving.”

That approach still guides his leadership.

“What I thought was my weakest moment, losing my father, gave me incredible compassion for others who are grieving,” he says.

In an industry often defined by legal processes and financial structures, Schmalzle sees the human side of estate work as the most important.

“Faith helps me trust that my God-given talents have equipped me to serve those in need,” he says.

And for the families he works with, that mindset may be the real legacy behind the business he built.