Are Digital Signatures Acceptable and Legally Binding

sign and fax

The business has long benefited from the internet’s role as a great leveler, which enables organizations of any size to succeed by competing on an even playing field. Despite the fact that anybody can now learn from the greatest business blogs, small and medium-sized firms may differentiate themselves from their more formidable rivals by being more responsive and connected, while giant corporations can automate daily workflow and other internal operations.

However, the internet did not revolutionize how we conduct business on its own. You can digitally sign your contracts right from the screen of your smartphone or tablet, for instance, using online fax services. These services not only offer a quicker, more effective means to transport documents. You can keep ahead of the competition no matter where you are physically by using electronic signatures like these, which are legally recognized and provide an easy way to communicate signed papers to recipients in multiple locations.

E-signatures, which serve as proof that a person has agreed to a contract, are not recent inventions. They have been widely accepted and used for many years in various nations around the world. Worldwide, more than a billion users are at ease signing papers digitally. However, are our digital signatures acceptable and legitimate? We will discuss it in this article!

What is a Digital Signature?

Attorney-at-Law Kenan L. Farrell offered the definition: An electronic signature is any legally recognized electronic means that indicates a person adopts the contents of an electronic message. Digital signatures function similarly to digital “fingerprints.” The digital signature securely links a signer to a document in a transaction that is recorded in the form of a coded message.

Why do We Choose a Digital Signature?

The conventional belief holds that convenience improves our lives. There is, of course, a case to be made for it improving our working life. We will be better able to meet the needs of our customers and clients if we can work more quickly and productively. And because of this, digital signatures are so crucial to modern business.

You can sign your documents electronically from the screen of your smartphone using an online fax service, eliminating the need to physically sign them. Simply add a signature to a PDF to use Internet fax services when several signees are dispersed across the globe or when a schedule conflict has slowed down the signing process. When signing a document with a “wet” signature (meaning it was done by hand), you must not only appear in person but also print off the document before signing it. You may seal deals wherever you are by adding a digital signature instead of printing out lengthy documentation. No scanning or printing is required; all you have to do is append your electronic signature to the document or fax it before sending it back.

All in all, working with digital signatures is more convenient because you can:

  • Speed up the signing procedure
  • Organize several individuals who are in various places
  • Boost responsiveness and effectiveness
  • Speed up transactions
  • Keep in touch
  • Save time
  • Cut down on paper waste

Are Digital Signatures Always Legally Binding On Any Occasions?

The short answer is “yes,” even if many individuals are still unsure of how to properly utilize digital signatures and some are still wary of them. Despite this, digital renditions of the traditional autograph are taking the place of ink on everything from receipts for lattes to business agreements.

The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (E-Sign) Act has governed electronic signatures since 2000. According to this federal law, no “signature, contract, or another record” can be disregarded or rendered ineffective only because it is in electronic form. The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) offers comparable security for digital signatures and records at the state level.

An electronic signature is typically as legally binding as a traditional pen-and-paper signature, if not more so. Electronic signatures might not be enforceable in certain situations, such as wills, trusts, power of attorney, and declarations given under oath, which require a ‘wet’ signature. When dealing with papers that are sensitive in nature or likely to be scrutinized in court, consult with your attorney because it’s possible that your state’s adoption of UETA will come into play.

Moreover, end-to-end audit trails together with your completed contract offer proof that your digital signature was correctly obtained when using an online fax service.

Make Your Work Life Simple

Therefore, take your smartphone or tablet and add a digital signature using an online fax provider rather than signing your paperwork an old-fashioned manner. Once you’re done, you can even fax your documents to another fax machine.

The Fax electronic signature feature makes signing faxes digitally as simple as swiping your finger across the screen of your smartphone or tablet, doing away with the annoyance of having to repeatedly go to another place to sign contracts by hand.

References:

https://www.fdic.gov/resources/supervision-and-examinations/consumer-compliance-examination-manual/documents/10/x-3-1.pdf

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