Because electronic signatures have become more common in the
business community, now is a good time to review some of the legal
issues that arise in the use of electronic signatures.
There are a number of statutes that give legal effect to
electronic signatures in many instances, and electronic signatures
have been accepted as valid by the courts. The use of software such
as DocuSign and Adobe Sign (previously known as EchoSign) is
becoming common. This software offers some features and related
services that are not available to negotiators who are simply
exchanging emails. From a legal standpoint, the most noteworthy
feature is an audit trail that can be used in court to show the
circumstances surrounding the execution and delivery of the
documents, and to authenticate the signatures.
