What kind of legal evidence can you use to support an e-signed document?

Just as with paper agreements, you need to demonstrate intent, identity and integrity.

To reliably demonstrate all three, the Scrive Evidence Package is attached to every document signed with Scrive. It is a detailed and, most importantly, complete collection of high-quality evidence encompassing every event in the document signing process, from the moment the author finishes preparing the document for signing until the final signed document is digitally sealed.

 

Intent

The signing party understands and accepts the terms being offered, and clearly expresses their intent to enter into the agreement. A screen capture of the signing view in the Scrive UI is just one piece of evidence we use to demonstrate intent.

 

Identity

The person who executes the electronic signature is actually the named signing party. The signing party’s email address is often proof enough. Nevertheless, the amount of business risk you want to assume is a factor to consider, or depending on the country, the law may require stronger forms of authentication for specified types of documents. Scrive offers a range of tools for authenticating the signatory’s identity, including PIN by SMS, eID and uploading photo ID.

 

Integrity

In the event of a dispute, you can conclusively show that your document has not been altered, forged or tampered with in any way. Scrive seals each signed document with a digital signature that protects the integrity of the document, any attachments and the complete Scrive Evidence Package.

 

A comprehensive event log

The Scrive Evidence Package set the industry standard for legal evidence to accompany an electronically-signed document.

Intent is the most fundamental aspect of making a contract legally binding. However, in the event of a dispute, you may need to be able to show more than intent. You may need access to evidence of signatory identity and integrity of the document. For each document signed, Scrive collects and secures all available evidence that demonstrates the signing process satisfied these requirements.

A timestamp with the date and precise time of day accompanies every event, providing an audit trail of the process. Depending on how you set up your signing workflow, the Evidence Package can be more extensive. Examples of additional evidence include the text of your custom message inviting the party to sign and an uploaded image of the signing party’s photo ID.

 

Learn more about the legality of electronic signatures.