Legal Documents
Legal documents require more care than routine business agreements. The right authentication, precise routing, and a complete audit record aren't just good practice, they're what you'll need if a signature is ever questioned. This page covers the configurations and workflows that matter for legal use cases.
→ For the general sending workflow, see Creating Agreements. For compliance standards and legal validity, see Legal Compliance.
Authentication
Stronger authentication produces better evidence that the right person signed. Match the method to the document's risk level.
| Method | Best for |
|---|---|
| Email link | Routine internal documents, low-risk correspondence |
| SMS code | Settlements, high-value contracts, confidential matters |
| Access code | Board signers, situations where you want verification through a separate channel (shared by phone or in person) |
| Identity provider | KYC/AML requirements, regulated transactions, high-value real estate |
→ See Identity Verification for setup details.
For board resolutions and corporate actions, access codes shared by phone work well, they verify identity through a separate channel without requiring signers to install anything or provide a mobile number.
Workflow Patterns
Board Resolution
All board members sign in parallel, then a corporate officer countersigns.
| Step | Recipient | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All board members | Assign the same routing number, they all sign simultaneously |
| 2 | Corporate secretary or officer | Signs after all board members complete |
Use an access code for board members, shared verbally during or after the board meeting.
Settlement Agreement
Settlements are sensitive, enhanced authentication on all parties, strict routing.
| Step | Recipient | Authentication |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plaintiff's counsel | SMS or access code |
| 2 | Plaintiff | SMS or access code |
| 3 | Defendant's counsel | SMS or access code |
| 4 | Defendant | SMS or access code |
Share each party's access code by phone, not by email. Bundle all related documents (settlement agreement, release, confidentiality clause) into a single agreement so all parties sign everything in one coordinated workflow.
NDA
Use conditional tags to handle mutual and one-way NDAs in a single template, show the mutual obligations section only when the NDA type is set to "Mutual." This keeps your template library lean.
Regulatory Filing
Deadline management is critical. Set the agreement expiration to the regulatory deadline minus a buffer, and enable daily reminders as the deadline approaches. Route sequentially: preparer → compliance review → legal review → authorized signatory.
After completion, download both the signed document and the completion certificate immediately and file them in the matter record.
The Audit Trail
Every agreement generates a complete, tamper-evident record of who signed, when, from where, and how they verified their identity. For legal documents, this record is often as important as the signed document itself.
The completion certificate packages the signed documents and audit record into a single PDF suitable for court filing or regulatory submission. → See Audit Trail for details on what's captured and how to access it.
Document Access Control
For confidential agreements with multiple documents, restrict which recipients see which documents. Enable Recipient Document Visibility in agreement settings, each recipient only sees documents that contain fields assigned to them.
Screenshot: legal-recipient-document-visibility, the agreement settings panel with the Recipient Document Visibility toggle enabled
Retention
How long you retain signed agreements depends on document type, jurisdiction, and your organization's policy. Common guidance:
| Document type | Typical retention |
|---|---|
| Corporate records | 7 years minimum |
| Litigation matters | Case duration + 7 years |
| Real estate | Property life + 7 years |
| Employment | Employment duration + 7 years |
Download the signed PDF and completion certificate promptly after execution and store them in your document management system. Consult your legal team for the correct retention schedule for your specific documents.
Notarization
Electronic signatures don't eliminate notarization requirements. If a document must be notarized, a notary must still be involved. Remote Online Notarization (RON) support is planned for a future release.
For documents requiring witnesses or apostilles, confirm requirements in the relevant jurisdiction before relying solely on electronic signatures.
Related Topics
- Identity Verification: verification methods and setup
- Signing Order: configure routing for multi-party signing
- Audit Trail: the tamper-evident signing record
- Completion Certificate: the downloadable audit PDF
- Legal Compliance: ESIGN, UETA, and eIDAS requirements
- Conditional Tags: mutual vs. one-way NDAs and variable clauses