Four Factors That Make an Esignature Legal

Sertifi, the leading provider of esignature solutions, shares with businesses the factors that make electronic signatures legally binding.

(PRWEB) January 19, 2012

The development of esignature solutionsis changing the way companies do business, but some companies are hesitant to adopt them because they question electronic signatures’ legality.

Following are tips to ensure an electronic signature is considered legal:

It must show the person had intent to sign the record. Intent incorporates the recording of actions taken by signers that show they knew and agreed that they were signing, and intended to be bound by their signature.
It is an electronic sound, mark or symbol.
It is logically associated with, or affixed to a record. This means the system managing the signing must be able to attach the signature to the document in a way that ensures the signature cannot be removed or modified.
It must be attributable to a person. When the signer makes a mark in a distinctive manner or correctly answers a series of security questions, the writing becomes attributable to the signer.

Traditionally, documents were drafted on paper and the client authenticated them by signing in ink. Since its adoption in 1996 by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, 46 states in the U.S. have enacted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. These laws set legal requirements for electronic signatures.

An esignature has been as legally binding as a hard copy signature since the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act was signed in 2000.

“Our electronic signature software fulfills all the functions necessary to make documents legal by employing a system of checks and balances,” said John Stojka, Sertifi’s co-founder. “We give priority to legal concerns because signatures are valuable for evidentiary purposes.”

Learn More
To learn more about Sertifi's electronic signature solution, call 1-866-983-8877 or visit: http://www.sertifi.com.

About Sertifi
Based in Chicago, Illinois, Sertifi provides leading E-Signature and Web contracting solutions that enable sales organizations to improve exchange of sales contracts with customers and partners. Sertifi is the industry’s most trusted E-Sign provider and has processed millions of electronic agreements and signature events.
Sertifi provides the industry’s leading eSignature web service API, which enables integration into existing systems, or pre-built connectors into leading platforms such as Salesforce.com and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Sertifi's Software-as-a-Service technology is used by leading companies including CareerBuilder, Microsoft, Pitney Bowes, and the U.S. Air Force. http://www.sertifi.com.

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