Legal documents
Digital signatures on legal documents require more care than routine business agreements — the right authentication, airtight routing, and a defensible audit trail are essential. Propper Sign provides the tools to meet evidentiary standards for litigation and regulatory compliance.
Document types
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Corporate | Board resolutions, shareholder agreements, operating agreements |
| Compliance | Regulatory filings, certifications, audit responses |
| Litigation | Settlements, stipulations, discovery responses |
| Real estate | Deeds, leases, purchase agreements |
| IP | NDAs, assignment agreements, license agreements |
| Estate | Powers of attorney, healthcare directives |
Authentication for legal documents
Stronger authentication provides better evidence that the right person signed. Choose an authentication method appropriate to the document's risk level.
| Method | Security level | Recommended for |
|---|---|---|
| Email link | Basic | Routine internal documents |
| Email OTP | Standard | Standard legal correspondence |
| SMS OTP | Enhanced | Confidential settlements, high-value contracts |
| Access code | Enhanced | Board signers, shared verbally or by phone |
| TOTP | Enhanced | High-security agreements with technically sophisticated parties |
| Identity provider | Maximum | KYC/AML requirements, high-value real estate, regulated transactions |
See Authentication for setup details for each method.
For board resolutions and corporate actions, access codes shared by phone or in-person work well — they verify signer identity through a separate channel without requiring signers to install an app or provide a mobile number.
Audit trail
The audit trail captures a tamper-evident, cryptographically linked record of every action taken on an agreement. For legal documents, this record is often as important as the signed document itself.
The audit trail records:
- Signer identity (name and email)
- Authentication method used and the result
- IP addresses and timestamps for every action
- Document hashes (SHA-256) for each document and the completed package
- Full event history: created, sent, viewed, signed, completed
The audit trail is generated for all agreements regardless of account type.
The completion certificate packages the signed documents and audit trail into a single PDF suitable for court filing or regulatory submission. It meets ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS requirements.
The audit trail meets ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS requirements. Timestamps are stored in UTC with timezone offset. Consult your counsel to confirm acceptability in specific jurisdictions or proceedings.
Workflow patterns
Board resolution
Board resolutions commonly require all board members to sign, with a corporate officer countersigning.
Recommended routing:
| Order | Recipient | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All board members (parallel) | Signer — same order number for each |
| 2 | Corporate secretary or officer | Countersigner |
Authentication: Access code for board members (share verbally during or after the board meeting).
Screenshot: Board resolution routing showing parallel board members and sequential officer countersignature
Settlement agreement
Settlements are sensitive — use enhanced authentication and ensure all required parties sign in the correct order.
| Order | Recipient | Authentication |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plaintiff's counsel | Access code or SMS |
| 2 | Plaintiff | Access code or SMS |
| 3 | Defendant's counsel | Access code or SMS |
| 4 | Defendant | Access code or SMS |
Consider adding a confidentiality note to the email message. The access code for each party should be communicated by phone, not by email.
Regulatory filing
Strict deadline management is critical.
- Set expiration to the regulatory deadline minus a buffer
- Enable daily reminders as the deadline approaches
- Configure sequential routing: preparer → compliance review → legal review → authorized executive
- Download both the signed document and the completion certificate for your records
NDA
Use conditional fields to handle mutual versus one-way NDAs in a single template: show the mutual obligations section only when the NDA type is "Mutual."
Tags: party names, effective date, applicable law (if variable), authorized signatures for both parties.
Commercial lease
Dynamic tags for variable terms:
- Rent amount, square footage, price per square foot
- Lease term (start date, end date)
- Optional sections (renewal options, tenant improvement allowances) using conditional fields
Document access control
For confidential agreements, limit who can access what:
- Assign tags only to the recipients who need to sign or complete them — recipients see only their assigned tags
- For multi-document agreements with confidential exhibits, structure access so only the relevant party sees each exhibit
Retention
How long you retain signed agreements is an organizational and legal policy decision — requirements vary by document type, jurisdiction, and industry. Common guidance from legal teams:
| Document type | Typical retention |
|---|---|
| Corporate records | 7 years minimum |
| Litigation matters | Case duration + 7 years |
| Real estate | Property life + 7 years |
| Employment | Duration of employment + 7 years |
Configure your document storage system's retention policies to match your legal team's requirements. Download signed PDFs and completion certificates promptly after execution and store them in your document management system.
Retention periods shown above are illustrative examples based on common legal guidance. Consult your legal counsel to determine the correct retention schedule for your documents and jurisdiction.
Multi-jurisdictional considerations
When parties span jurisdictions:
- Ensure the governing law clause is in the document
- Confirm that electronic signatures are accepted in the relevant jurisdiction
- Check local requirements for witnesses, notarization, or apostilles
- Consult local counsel for enforceability in each jurisdiction
Notarization
Some legal documents require notarization — review state or local requirements before relying solely on electronic signatures.
- Traditional notarization: Requires in-person presence with a commissioned notary
- Remote Online Notarization (RON): Permitted in many U.S. states — the notary and signer connect by video
- Electronic notarization (eNotary): State-dependent — verify acceptance in the relevant jurisdiction
RON and eNotary support is planned for a future release.
Litigation support
Discovery responses
Route: attorney prepares → client authorizes → attorney certifies → serve opposing counsel.
Stipulations
All counsel sign, then download the signed document for court filing. Verify local e-filing rules before submitting.
Settlements
Include all related documents in a single agreement: settlement agreement, release, confidentiality agreement, and payment terms. All parties sign in a single coordinated workflow.
Integration with legal practice systems
Connect Propper Sign to matter management, document management, time tracking, or billing systems using the Sign API. Common integration patterns:
- Automatically create agreements when matters reach a signing milestone
- Receive webhook notifications when documents are signed so records update in real time
- Pull completed documents and completion certificates into the matter file automatically
Best practices
Preparation:
- Verify each party's legal name and signing authority before sending
- Have counsel review the template before first use
- Run through the signing flow yourself to catch any issues
- Check document formatting on mobile — many signers use a phone
Execution:
- Confirm all parties are available and expect the agreement
- Verify email addresses and set a realistic deadline
- Monitor progress and be available to answer questions
- Note in the agreement email message who to call with questions
Record keeping:
- Include a matter number or file reference in the agreement name for easy retrieval
- Organize signed agreements in a folder structure that mirrors your matter filing system
- Download both the signed PDF and the completion certificate promptly
- Note the retention deadline for each file type
Related topics
- Authentication — All verification methods and their setup
- Audit Trail — How the tamper-evident record works
- Completion Certificate — The court-admissible audit document
- Conditional Fields — Mutual vs. one-way NDAs, state-specific clauses
- Sending Agreements — Expiration, reminders, and routing configuration
- Sign API — Integration with practice management systems