E - Signatures - Everything You Need to Know

Published Date:
May 11, 2023

What are E-Signatures?

Whenever two or more parties enter into an agreement with one another, they must record their approval by attaching their signatures to the agreement. This makes the agreement enforceable by law if one of the parties fails to uphold its obligations. There are several ways in which parties can attach their signatures to an agreement –

1.  Wet Ink or Pen and Paper Signature – The traditional method for signing, a hard copy of the agreement is signed by both parties in person.

2.  Virtual Signature – A hard copy of the agreement is signed using wet ink signature and then scanned and emailed to the other party for countersignatures.

3.  E-Signature – Defined as “an electronic sound, symbol or process attached to or logically associated with a record…adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.”, e-signatures, or electronic signatures are a fast and reliable alternative to pen and paper signatures. Instead of signing the document physically, the parties use digital tools or web-based applications to attach their name, signatures and other details to the document.

Because e-signatures can be implemented remotely from anywhere in the world, they have recently exploded in popularity. They are also easily traceable, and more secure and cost-effective than wet ink signatures.

How do I Create an E-Signature?

Creating an e-signature is simple and free on Scribe Zero. Just upload the document of your choosing and add signature fields for yourself and all other signatories. In addition to the signature, you can also add fields for other information such as signers’ designation, location, etc.

Are E-Signatures Enforceable?

E-Signatures have the same force as wet ink signatures in most jurisdictions across the world, and have the additional benefit of being more secure than wet ink signatures. Platforms such as Scribe Zero will often accompany the signed document with an audit trail recording timestamps, location, checksum, etc. to authenticate the signatures, making e-signatures safe from tampering or forgery, and providing more reliable evidence of the parties’ acknowledgment in case of dispute.