Is your organization considering moving to a digital document workflow and is uncertain about the legality of digital signature online? You may have some questions about what is deemed to be legal and what is illegal.
When it comes to signing documents digitally, you need to follow the correct procedures and agreements.
In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about legal and valid signatures, including.
What is a legally binding signature?
- Use cases for legally binding signatures
- Legally binding signature requirements
- Advantages of a legally binding signature
- Types of lawfully binding signatures
- common problem
Let’s start.
What is a legally binding signature?
Simply put, a legally binding signature indicates that a person agrees to the terms of the contract. It is a mark placed on the document to make it legally binding, meaning that it will be held accountable in court.
An acceptable, legally binding signature can be as simple as the party making a mark on the document. The law does not specify what the form of the signature must look like. Most people’s signatures are messy, inconsistent, and look like scribbles.
As long as it expresses the consent of a person, it is considered legally binding. In many cases, people write their names clearly and clearly.
It is also worth noting that even if there is no actual contract and no legally valid signature, the contract can be legally binding. If there is sufficient evidence to prove the existence of an oral agreement, its terms can be enforced by law.
Use of legal signatures
In many different situations, a legally valid digital signature online is of great value. All essential business documents must have a legally binding signature. Here are some excellent examples.
The non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
You always try to be one step ahead of your competitors; NDA can help you do this. The confidentiality agreement ensures that anyone in contact with your company is legally bound to keep sensitive information confidential.
A legally binding signature ensures that former employees, contractors, or consultants get the NDA and guarantees the confidentiality of your trade secrets.
Contract with supplier
An enterprise is only good in its supply chain; contracts with suppliers provide guarantees for this relationship. The document stipulates what you buy, how much you purchase, how often you receive it, and how much it costs.
A legally binding signature gives you peace of mind that your agreement is protected by law.
Employee induction training
Like all businesses, you have a constantly changing workforce. Employees leave, and new employees join. The better you can accept new team members, the more valuable they are to your business.
All paperwork involved in hiring a new employee requires a legally binding signature. These legally binding documents stipulate the terms and conditions of the employment relationship.
Legally binding requirements for digital signature online
In the United States, the law that regulates the legality of electronic signatures is the “ESIGN Act” passed in 2000. It was launched to adapt to the digitization of business and document processes. The law gives electronic signatures the same legal status as written signatures. This means that electronic signatures can be used as evidence in court. They can also provide reasons for other laws that require signatures or signatures. Documents signed electronically are protected and can be enforced in court. Due to the uniqueness and nature of electronic signatures, the ESIGN Act contains several requirements. These are concerns that a “wet”, hand-painted signature does not need to satisfy.
For an electronic signature to be legally binding, it must meet several requirements; these requirements include.
- Sign the intent. An electronic signature is legally binding only when the intention of its creation and all the terms of the document are transparent to it.
- Exit clause: There must be an exit clause for customers who prefer to sign contracts on paper rather than digitally. Make sure you have physical documents ready for these cases. Most electronic signature tools, such as DocSignPro, provide this option.
- Implied/explicit agreement to sign: A clause must record the customer’s electronic signing intention. This is usually done by ticking a box or going through a verification procedure before signing.
- Assignment of signatures: There must be a signature audit trail, and a timestamp, IP address and email address must be assigned to each signature. Without these unique identifiers, the signature is not legally binding.
- Signature protection: For an electronic signature to have legal effect, it must be attached to the document and encrypted. In addition, it can only be sent to the contracting party.
To make DocSignPro’s electronic signature Online legally valid, please follow the steps below.
Log in to your DocSignPro account.
First, go to the DocSignPro website and log in to your DocSignPro account. If you don’t have one, you can create one absolutely nothing
- Log in to your DocSignPro account.
- Upload your file.
Next, you need to upload your files. To do this, first select “DocSignPro” in the left sidebar. Then select the correct option “Who needs to sign?”; there are three options to choose from.
1. Only me: If your file only needs your signature.
Me and others. Suppose your document requires both you and someone else’s signature.
You are limited to others. If your file needs someone else’s signature, but you don’t require your signature.
2. Choose your signer
You will then be taken to a document preparation page; scroll down and attach your documents.
3. Upload your file
Don’t forget to add the name and email address of the person who needs to sign the document.
4. Add contact information
Next, select the “Done and sign” button at the bottom of the page.
Sign and complete the document.
Then you will be taken to an editor where you can add signatures, text and other things. Here, you can add a legally valid signature to your document. After you have added all the required information, press “Send” to finalize your file.
Add all required files.
You have now legally signed a document electronically. As you can see, DocSignPro makes this process effortless and straightforward.
Advantages of using DocSignPro for legally binding signatures
1. Based on the web:
It doesn’t matter what device or operating system you use; DocSignPro only needs access to the Internet.
2. Free:
DocSignPro offers a free subscription that allows you to sign documents digitally. You can also ask other contractors to create a customized contract with three signatures per month.
3. Affordable:
If you need more than the free plan, DocSignPro offers two affordable premium options. Compare with other best online signature app software, these software features rich functions and competitive prices.
4. Easy to use:
DocSignPro’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to master digital signature software.
Great safety features. DocSignPro uses a strong firewall, Amazon data centre hosting and 256-bit encryption.
Powerful audit log:
One of DocSignPro’s best features is a complete audit log. This enables you to track the history of file processing.
Summary
The modern digital environment enables companies to increase the efficiency of several essential work processes. Companies have replaced pen, paper, and fax machines with E-signature app, PDFs, and email. But why did this change happen?
What are the benefits of a legally binding electronic signature?
Improve employee productivity: digital signature online shortens and simplifies your document workflow, making employees more productive.
Improve operational efficiency: A more productive workforce enables your organization to work more efficiently and spend less time signing documents. Reduce operating costs: digitizing your document workflow can save you money: you don’t need paper, pens, fax machines or postage.
