Until the rise of the Covid-19 Pandemic, lawyers had been showing reluctance in accepting electronic signature app. However, the pandemic has changed the situation now, and they do not show reluctance or hesitance to allow the best E Signature apps. Digital transformation is a new trend, especially for law firms after the Covid-19 Pandemic. Although Docsign pro have been attached to the technology for more than two decades, it has been observed that its acceptance in businesses is not appreciated. Business owners think that they will be in an uncertain situation using technology to run the business. Factually, it is not so. Technology and digital transformation can keep you attached to your business even if you are home or out of the country. It helps you keep an eye on all business operations, financial activities, and document completion.
Electronic signature app to turn the table
As our above discussion has confirmed that using technology is a need of the hour, no business can ignore its importance in the organization. Furthermore, time is money now. Therefore, you need to complete the documentation, and other procedural tasks fast. With manual processing and documentation, it is not an easy job. For example, to convert the document into a contract manually, your administration needs to perform the following tasks:
- Prepares documents
- Gets approval from all relevant authorities and parties
- Removes errors if any
- Amends the document by taking concerns of all
- Gets signature individually
- And sends all the parties through courier services
- With that, printing, scanning, and emailing are continuous processes.
By using an E-Signature online app, you can complete all these tasks in just a few hours. It is because you can create an electronic signature contract online. Furthermore, you get approvals from all concerned parties online, amend the existing clauses or add new ones, get an electronic signature online, keep these documents on cloud storage, and send approved documents directly to all relevant parties. It confirms that using digital signatures online can be the best option to improve redundancy and delays due to manual systems.
Now, we can also claim that law firms and individual lawyers should also go for this technology, as they need documentation in all situations to fulfill their legal requirements. Using digital signatures online can improve documentation processes and facilitate their clients to close cases and get decisions from courts without delays.
But before going into details, we need to differentiate between electronic and digital signatures:
Comparing electronic and digital signature online
Many people around us consider both the terms the same, but it is not so. Moreover, some companies use free E Signature apps and think that they are up to the mark. Therefore, it is necessary to understand both terms.
Electronic signature
Under the law, using the electronic symbol, process, or sound that helps associate any of these with a contractor and a specific person adopts it to sign the document with intent means that you are using an electronic signature. Theoretically, we can claim that using an electronic signature means using a digitize version of wet or manual signatures to sign a specific record or document. It helps complete the signing process via keeping online. Under the law, documents on which electronic signatures are implemented are legally binding.
Digital Signature
While talking about the digital signature, the significant difference is that there is a signer authentication method. With that, there is Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) that consists of public and private keys. These keys are used to identify the signer. Using a private key is used by the signers to sign the document. It is the signer’s property, and he has his property. The signer uses this key to encrypt the document after signing it. The next step here is that the signer provides a public key to a person who needs to decrypt the document. In case the public key cannot decrypt the signature, the whole document will be consider invalid.
More interestingly, both parties need to have a register digital certificate for using a digital signature. The certificate authority issues this certificate. It has the responsibility to verify the identity and issue the certificate. In this way, using a digital signature online means that you use the most secure documentation procedure where forgery, tempering, malware, and unauthorize access are almost next to impossible.
So, until now, we have learn the value of digital signature, significant differences between the significant terms, and their value for the businesses. Now, it is time to discuss the importance of electronic signature app for law firms:
The more convenient documentation process
In law firms, lawyers need to tackle numerous clients. And with that, there is a vast number of papers on which signatures are require. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to reach your clients immediately, or they may not be available on specific dates. In those scenarios, using e-signature online apps is the best solution. More importantly, you can use these documents in court because these signatures are equivalent to wet signatures under law.
Security and compliance
Security of legal documents is a must! Any forgery or fraud in the documents can become daunting in your legal case. Using the best E Signature online app means that your documents are safe and secure. Moreover, no unauthorized individual or party can reach the on-cloud databases due to strict rules and regulations use by the digital signature online solution provider.
Awareness about the use of electronic signatures is critical
As a lawyer, you need to learn where to use electronic signatures. And which documents you need to get an ink signature. For example, you can use the electronic signature app to get signatures for fee agreements, releases, engagement letters, consent forms, and authorization forms. On the other hand, you cannot use E Signature for documents like trusts, wills, or those transactions in which only wet signatures are require. For a lawyer, it is a must to have this information. Otherwise, he may face legal issues or circumstances.
Overall, leaving technology when other businesses and your competitors are using it can be devastating for you as a lawyer. So, decide now and incorporate one of the best E Signature apps that is the most suitable for your law firm.