Most people often sign their agreements in person in the old-school way by putting the pen to the paper and handwriting their signature. As most people know, a physical signature is a legally-binding contract between the offeror and the offeree (signee).
However, with the recent push towards environmentally-friendly practices, an minimizing paper usage, a shift to electronic signatures may be on the rise. Surrounding the idea of e-signatures, there is one major question that arises. Are these signatures legally binding?
Simple answer: Yes.
In the United States, the ESIGN Act was passed in 2000, which stated that electronic signatures have the same legal weight and merit as handwritten signatures. It's also worth noting that a lot of judges use electronic signatures when signing their documents in court cases. Some of them use an electronic program that places an electronic signature of theirs onto PDF documents before being printed out. If judges and court rooms use electronic signatures themselves, it only makes sense that they see them as legally binding.
The one glaring issue around e-signatures is that some people think that they could be fake. When someone signs an agreement in person, it's clear that it's the real deal (unless they have an evil doppelgänger out there, which is highly unlikely). It is very possible for people to fake an e-signature, as the message could be sent to the wrong person or an e-mail account could be hacked. With that in mind, it's a rare occurrence to see people fake e-signatures.
In the future, when you sign an agreement over the internet, or electronically, know that the contract is legally binding. If you fail to meet the obligations of the agreement, it will hold up in a court of law and you may be subject to damages, or worse.
- T.B.
However, with the recent push towards environmentally-friendly practices, an minimizing paper usage, a shift to electronic signatures may be on the rise. Surrounding the idea of e-signatures, there is one major question that arises. Are these signatures legally binding?
Simple answer: Yes.
In the United States, the ESIGN Act was passed in 2000, which stated that electronic signatures have the same legal weight and merit as handwritten signatures. It's also worth noting that a lot of judges use electronic signatures when signing their documents in court cases. Some of them use an electronic program that places an electronic signature of theirs onto PDF documents before being printed out. If judges and court rooms use electronic signatures themselves, it only makes sense that they see them as legally binding.
The one glaring issue around e-signatures is that some people think that they could be fake. When someone signs an agreement in person, it's clear that it's the real deal (unless they have an evil doppelgänger out there, which is highly unlikely). It is very possible for people to fake an e-signature, as the message could be sent to the wrong person or an e-mail account could be hacked. With that in mind, it's a rare occurrence to see people fake e-signatures.
In the future, when you sign an agreement over the internet, or electronically, know that the contract is legally binding. If you fail to meet the obligations of the agreement, it will hold up in a court of law and you may be subject to damages, or worse.
- T.B.