What Is DocuSign?
DocuSign provides e-Signature on documents and manages electronic agreements. For the vast majority of documents and contracts, e-signatures are permissible in most international jurisdictions.
If an agreement is signed electronically, DocuSign secures a tamper-evident seal on the document and the signatures.
An executed agreement includes a court-admissible Certificate of Completion, as well as party names, email addresses, public IP addresses, and a time-stamped chain of custody audit trail that records all of the important document activity — exceeding what is possible with paper-based agreements.
How Law Firms Use DocuSign for Clients
Law firms provide a modern way of signing up clients over the phone or the internet through DocuSign. The process may seem simple and fast for the client, but it can have negative results for the clients and their case.
If you had a case matter, would you talk to a lawyer or just sign up the paper without discussing it with your lawyer about the facts, details, consequences, and obligations?
If you haven’t discussed the case with your preferred lawyer, you can end up destroying your case and the outcome as the lawyer may put in terms which are unacceptable for you in the future.
Read Before Signing
We suggest the universal rule, do not sign anything without reading it. Contracts are binding once they have been signed, even if the signer didn’t read it properly or didn’t fully understand it.
You must understand what you are signing.
A good lawyer will never let his/her, client, sign anything which the client doesn’t understand. Similarly, the client should discuss and understand the pros and cons and the commitments to make with the lawyer before signing them over the phone or the internet.
Talk To Your Lawyer
It is important to talk to a lawyer. If possible, before signing and handing your case, you should meet your lawyer in their office to have a clear picture. Plus, for your case you need to tell the maximum details of the case such as what happened, where did it happened, how it happened, etc.
You need to make sure exactly who is the lawyer handling your case in the future.
For example, you have an auto accident case, you should meet your lawyer before signing to know whether you have a good case or not and whether your future lawyer will be able to pursue your case effectively.
You need to tell your client how the car accident took place, what sort of correspondence you had with the Insurance companies, what injuries and damages have been suffered. Only with a detailed discussion, you can get fruitful results.
When hiring an attorney, it’s important to read the fee agreement and understand it.
It’s an easy way of preventing a common source of dispute for clients.
Before signing, read, and ask your lawyer will they be fighting your case on a contingency fee basis (no fee, no win), what will be the billable hours, and what are the commitments. You should also see the statement of clients’ right to see what you can do and what you cannot do. Failure to do so may end up with hefty legal bills and contradictions if you straightly sign up.
Conclusion
Clients need to be highly cautious when signing straightly over the phone or the internet by using DocuSign as your sign may form a binding contract.
If you do not understand what you committed to, you may highly regret it in the future.
E-signatures may be the new trend and a faster way to process your signatures but it may be detrimental if you do not do your homework beforehand.
The attorneys at Frank M. Eidson, PA strongly recommend that client should be careful in signing anything before discussing with the lawyer.
For more information contact our Orlando Attorneys or email us directly at info@frankeidson.com.
