Technology has become a vital part of almost every aspect of modern life, including the signing of documents. Today, documents that need signing often come with the option of signing them online, helping to speed up the time at which documents can be signed and returned, preventing delays. However, despite the fact that e-signatures can be time saving and incredibly useful in many instances, there are various myths surrounding them.
Below is a guide to five myths surrounding the signing of documents online:
1. Signing documents online isn’t secure
There’s a common misconception that signing a document online is not safe or secure, but that isn’t the case. If you feel comfortable transferring money via online banking, you should feel comfortable signing documents online, because it’s just as secure as online banking. The key is going through a specialist service, as this way you are guaranteed security. As long as you do this, your documents should be secure, and you should have nothing to worry about.
2. Documents signed online have no legal validity
Many people think that documents signed online has no legal validity, but this isn’t the case. Electronic signatures have been legalised in many countries across the world, including in the UK and USA. In the US, the federal E-Sign Act of 2000 meant that e-signatures became legal, while The ELectronic Signatures Directive of 1999 passed the same law for all European Union countries.
3. It’s hard to prove that someone has signed a document
The issue of proof is one that concerns many people using online signatures for documents. However, this shouldn’t be an issue, as qualified electronic signatures solutions are able to provide authentication for all signatures. The signature isn’t the only thing that is used, IP address locations are also used, to validate any signature.
4. Special software needs to be purchased and installed
There’s also a common misconception that online document signing is costly and requires you to invest in a range of specialist software. However, this isn’t actually the case, using an e-signature doesn’t have to be expensive. If you take advantage of the free software that’s on offer and the specialist services available, you don’t necessarily have to purchase any expensive software.
5. Signing documents online is difficult
There’s also a concern that signing documents online is difficult and requires a specialist knowledge of using technology and the internet. However, that isn’t the case - it’s actually incredibly easy to do. Signing documents online is simple and straightforward if you utilise specialist services and take notice of their tips and advice on how to do so.
The fact is that signing documents online can make getting important legal documents sent off and approved, much quicker and easier. However, the fact is that there are various myths surrounding this process that can put you off of using them. Just remember that before believing a myth about signing documents online, that you should take the time to research it and determine if it is in fact true or not.