Send a document for e-signature

Send a document for e-signatureE-sign A document sent for electronic signature, signed in the browser., such as your retainer, and everyone who needs to sign it does so in their browser. You choose who signs each field.

1. 1

   Add the signers first

   Make sure everyone who signs is on the case, in Your Team. See Invite a client to their case. A template's fields go to the people on the case when you create the e-sign, not to anyone added later.

2. 2

   Start a new e-sign

   Open E-signs and choose New. To use one of your firm's documents, choose Templates and pick it, such as Retainer Agreement. Then, under New, check:

   • Title. Use letters, numbers, spaces and dashes.
   • Due Date and Due Time.
   • Notifications: when to remind signers before it's due.
   • Description, if you like.

   Choose Create Sign.

3. 3

   Add the document

   A template's document opens with its fields in place. Otherwise, in Add a new page, choose From Upload and pick a PDF or Word file, or choose Blank page, then place the fields with the field tools. A Word file is converted to PDF first, which takes a moment.

4. 4

   Choose who signs each field

   Click a field and choose Field Logic. Under Participants, pick the people who fill it in, then choose Save. Every field needs someone.

   From a template, check each field: it goes to everyone on the case in its role, so with two staff on the case, both must sign the firm's field.

   Your changes save as you go, and "All changes saved!" shows after each. If a save fails, "Your latest changes couldn't be saved." stays above the document until one goes through. Choose Retry beside it, or wait for your connection to come back. Closing then offers Retry or Leave anyway. Choose Close when you're done.

5. 5

   Publish it

   In All E-signs, switch on Published beside the e-sign. Nobody is asked to sign until you do. If the due time has passed, change it with Edit Settings first.

   A published e-sign can't be changed. To send a corrected one, choose Duplicate E-sign, change the copy and publish it.

What happens next

Each signer is emailed, or texted if they have only a phone number, and the e-sign waits in their To DoTo Do The list on a case of things waiting for you, such as forms to fill in, documents to sign or events to confirm.. They're reminded at the times you chose until they sign, in any order. You're emailed each time someone signs. Once everyone has, you and each signer get an email with a link to the signed copy, and Submissions in All E-signs opens it.

Signers can't decline in the portal. If a client won't sign, talk to them. To withdraw the e-sign, choose Delete E-sign; this also deletes any signatures already given.

If something goes wrong

• "Please ensure all fields have participants before publishing" Choose Edit E-sign, and give each field someone under Field Logic.
• "We couldn't convert this document. Please attach a different file to continue." Attach another file, such as a PDF.
• You can't switch on Published. Point at the switch to see why. "Document is still processing, please wait" means a Word file is still being converted, so wait a moment. "This document could not be converted. Please upload a different file before publishing." means it couldn't be; choose Edit E-sign to attach another file.
• Someone joined after you created it. While it's unpublished, add them to their fields under Field Logic. Once it's published, choose Duplicate E-sign, add them in the copy and publish it, then delete the first.

Your firm may have changed what each role can do on a case. If an option described here is missing, ask an Admin of your hub.