How to execute an agreement in the cloud?

Moving from wet ink deals to executing agreements in the cloud

With exceptional physical distancing requirements in place during Covid-19, witnessing a legal document has been proven very difficult if not almost impossible. Here, at The Jonathan Lea Network we are always looking for ways we can overcome any challenges and improve the service we offer our clients and therefore we’re pleased to announce that from today The Jonathan Lea Network can offer DocuSign eWitness electronic signing to our clients.

Following a successful trial with DocuSign since February 2020, which saw up to 71% of agreements returned in less than 6 hours and 49% in less than 1 hour, we have decided to upgrade to Enterprise DocuSign account that includes the eWitness feature and roll out the service for the benefit of our clients.

Using electronic signatures accelerated our workflow and lowered the cost of administrative tasks. Both us and our clients enjoyed a reduction in time spent on menial tasks like sending signature requests, following up on unsigned documents, and filing and sorting completed documents.

Documents can be signed on any device with no need to print, scan, post or fax anything. It is not necessary for signatories to have a DocuSign account – all that is needed is an email address for each signatory.

The witnessing of documents (such as deeds) can be done by using DocuSign’s eWitness feature. However, please note that the witness will need to be physically present with the signatory when he or she attaches their signature. Unfortunately, video link will not (for the time being at least) count as being physically present for these purposes – although this is under review.  Although, best practice has always suggested that a witness should be independent of a signatory, please note that is not a legal requirement. Therefore, in times of self-isolation and restricted movement, it should be possible for family members or cohabitees to act as witness.

DocuSign is the market leader in electronic signatures – used by more than 250,000 companies and over 100 million customers across 188 countries with almost one million transactions completed each day. We chose DocuSign to ensure both security and ease of use for our clients.

The driving force behind this initiative is to provide a better service to our clients and we are looking forward to rolling out other initiatives and improvements in the coming year.

This article is intended for general information only, applies to the law at the time of publication, is not specific to the facts of your case and is not intended to be a replacement for legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before relying on any of the information given. © Jonathan Lea Limited.