26 Apr 2024

Can you sit on the other side of the globe and sign a document now? Of course! Electronic signatures have made documentation easy, employees more productive, effortless and accessible. But would your document be valid if you execute it incorrectly using an electronic signature solution? Of course not. 

In this blog, VeriDoc Signs illustrates the problems you can face when you do not use an electronic signature solution. This blog also helps you understand when to sign a document with an electronic signature and why. Electronic signatures are the paperless future, and you would have to accept this technology eventually. 

So, this blog will help you understand every aspect of it. After all, it is easier to avoid the pitfalls when you know what you have on your plate.

An electronic signature is a combination of signs. But not every form of electronic signing can fall under the valid ones. These signs or combinations of signs should at least satisfy the statutory requirements to be accurate. 

An electronic signature is valid when it is a:

• picture that one has inserted in the appropriate place


• sign that one has typed.

How Can You Use An Electronic Signature?

When you consider a valid, accurate, and acceptable electronic signature, it would include a person who:

• types their name into the email or contract. It includes the terms of the agreement too.


• pastes their signature electronically in the form of a png or a jpg image. The signee needs to paste it in an appropriate place too.


• uses an e-pen or their finger and writes their name electronically. The title should be in the appropriate place.


• can access the contract through any web-based eSignature software. The signee can click and have their name written in a handwritten font. It then gets added to the contract page automatically. Again, it is essential to note that it is attached appropriately to your document.

When Can We Sign Documents Using Electronic Signatures?

To make sure you have a legal document, you need to go through varying degrees of document transparency. The degree of diligence is directly proportional to the document's importance, never more minor. 

So, what can we sign with electronic signatures
 

• Any Deed:

Did you know that the law did not include deeds for execution through electronic signatures? However, now the process is streamlined. 

The law commission has now agreed that we can use an electronic signature for the deed, the conditions being that the person who signs the document should be authentic and it should satisfy the execution formalities. 

The current law requires the presence of a witness during the process of documentation. Although in certain circumstances, this might not be necessary. 

For example, in case both the person who is executing the deed and the witness who is attesting using an electronic signature are physically present together in the same room, you should need no other formalities.

• Get The Simple Contracts Done Fast:

You can use an electronic signature to execute a simple contract and be more productive. But this is only in case you do not subject the agreement to any statutory requirements. 

• Documents That Are Subjected To The Statutory Requirements:

Documents such as the contract for the land are subjected to statutory requirements. In these cases, the signatures need to be in writing form only. However, an electronic signature with the honest intention to authenticate is enough.

Nowadays, there are several use cases of an electronic signature solution. Knowing all the use cases makes it easier for you to understand the process. If an agreement is not valid, it would be deemed void. So, it is always important to check before you finalize