Sign Documents

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SUMMARY

Signing documents is fundamental to an attorney-client agreement. The client simply needs to be able to do this. E-signing is not that difficult. However, if e-signing is a challenge, you can come to my office and sign a piece of paper that I present to you. Whatever works for you! The point is, this is something that the client needs to be able to do. Let’s figure out how signing works for you and focus on doing it, not why you have a problem with one of several of the methods.

DETAILS

E-signing is not that difficult. That being said, some people are simply not good with technology.

Three means to get me a signed document: (1) E-sign; (2) Pen sign, then scan, fax or mail back; (3) Pen sign a document that I print and present to you in my office

There are three primary means for getting a signature. (1) E-signing, the quickest & easiest for the attorney; (2) Client receiving a document in email, printing that document, signing it with a pen, and then either scanning it & emailing it back, faxing it back, or mailing it back using US Mail; (3) signing the document either in my office, or a paper document mailed to the client, then either scanning it & emailing it back, faxing it back, or mailing it back using US Mail. Ted Broomfield expects that client can use a pen.

So, if e-signing, scanning or faxing are a challenge, let’s just focus on using a pen & paper.

Additionally, you should be able to put a piece of paper in the mail and mail it to me.

However, if you cannot or time is urgent, you may need to get to my office and sign in person. The choice is yours.

The three things to check if you have difficulty e-signing

I learned long ago if a client has significant difficulty e-signing the solution is to sign in an alternative manner. However, there are three issues that can usually be solved

Client is looking for an email from me, but the email will come from “adobesign,” or “jotformsign.” Rather than look for an email from me, look for adobesign or jotformsign.

The email from “adobesign,” or “jotformsign” goes to the Spam Folder and not the inbox. There is a folder in most email systems called Spam. If you cannot see the email and you know how to see your Spam box, look to see if the e-sign request is in your Spam folder.

The client does not know how to navigate the e-sign software. Generally, e-sign software opens up a document, but the client clicks buttons above the document. Frequently, clients are trying to e-sign in the document, and do not use the buttons above the document.

Don’t resist the pen

The next challenge comes when I abandon e-signing in favor of a pen.

This is where the greatest amount of wasted time comes. You know how to sign a piece of paper with a pen! Work with me to make it happen.

Getting a pen-signed document back - email, fax, mail or in office - let’s solve the problem, not consume time on it

Can’t use any tech? Schedule an appointment in my office, I will print the paper and show you where to sign.

Can you print a document that was emailed to you? Great. I will email you the document. Print it. Sign it. Then we’ll work on how you can get it back.

Can you scan, fax, use regular US Mail? Once we figure out you can print, we know you know how to use a pen. Can you scan what you just signed? If so, scan it and mail it back.

If you cannot scan, can you fax? Can you go to a UPS Store or similar and have them send me a fax? Great, that works.

Can’t fax, how about mail. Get an envelope. Get a stamp. Put the paper in the envelope. Write my address on the envelope. Put the stamp on the envelope. Seal the envelope. Put the addressed, stamped envelope in the mail.

Can’t mail? Sometimes I will send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the client. That means that I provide the client with the paper that needs to be signed. I provide the client with the envelope. I address the envelope. I put the stamp on the envelope. All the client needs to do is sign, put the paper in the envelope, seal the envelope, and put the envelope in the mail.

Can’t do that, make an appointment to meet me in the office.

Client must pay for the time

Generally, I bill for my time. When signing goes quickly, it is a very small amount of time and a small fee.

If I need to spend a lot of time on signing, the client will spend a lot of attorney fees for the time that I consume.

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.