eSignatures Support Lower Overhead Costs and Better Client Service

When potential clients come to me regarding a case, I let them know immediately that I do not operate a conventional law practice. I don't invest in expensive office space, elegant furnishings or any unnecessary elements that might raise my overhead and, by extension, my rates. I also let prospects know that I am dedicated to using cost-effective technologies that support a flexible working relationship and a more efficient path to resolving cases. Electronic signatures have become one my most important technological tools in meeting those goals.

Signatures are critical in the daily work of a legal practice. The basic law of contracts is that a contract is binding if the parties agree to its terms. Signatures indicate that two or more parties have agreed on a particular matter. Signatures do not, however, need to involve ink on paper. In fact, there are many benefits to avoiding the physical signing process.

ESIGN Changes the Practice of Law

The federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) solidified the validity of e-signing contracts. See, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.761.ENR. This Act basically says that electronic signatures are valid. The ESIGN act just celebrated its tenth birthday, and the market can look back on a decade of secure, legal e-signatures that facilitate business, close deals quickly and overhaul previously paper-wasting systems in an ecologically sensitive way.

In October 2000, ESIGN combined the convenience of electronic signatures with the consumer protections of appropriate notifications, disclosures and assurances of technological neutrality and universal access. The legislation provided for authentication processes, privacy protection, legal certainty and fraud shields. ESIGN also delivered the means for easy document access and record retention.

The Act has become a game-changer for industries, including insurance, travel and, of course, law. There are several reasons why. First, e-signatures deliver a proven return on investment. In a vendor situation, e-signatures can reduce the sales cycle by 200% to 400%. This holds true in other areas as well, since the effects of a speedier close echo throughout an organization. This level of cycle reduction frees up sales staff to follow new leads, shrinks personnel hours required for administrative tasks and creates positive experiences for prospects. That holds true for small services firms, such as mine, as well. I don't have a fleet of staff to chase down paper signatures, and I don't need one. Instead, I spend my time, and that of my small support team, providing valuable counsel to clients.

Executives in any industry will tell you that unsigned contracts aren't worth much. In the legal field, unsigned contracts can negatively impact clients who face small windows of opportunity during which to fight fines or jail time. Even with personal stakes that high, it's too easy for a willing prospect or client to push a pile of papers to the side of his desk or temporarily lose track of it under a mountain of other documents. When signatures are secured more quickly ' through easy and familiar e-mail processes ' businesses, customers and clients win. The result might be faster time-to-quota records, streamlined revenue processes or quicker settlement of legal cases, all of which positively affect a company's bottom line.

Finally, e-signatures solve another difficult problem faced by businesses of almost every size: paper. Paper files are cumbersome to store and search, particularly for managers who might not be involved in every part of the process for every deal or case. e-Signatures support tracking capabilities, deliver insight into contract status, reduce paperwork and improve productivity. Furthermore, in industries that require long-term storage of documents, such as law, electronic files are infinitely more attractive than paper. When I can avoid physical paper storage, I can keep my overhead costs down and pass that savings on to my clients.

Getting Clients on Board

I work with clients of varying degrees of technical prowess, and I have found that most all of them are able to easily use EchoSign (www.echosign.com) for e-signing documents related to their cases. With EchoSign's software, I can send out a contract and have it fully signed by all parties in five minutes. It's a great way to get e-signatures fast, to settle cases efficiently and to keep costs down, since I don't need to rely on couriers or delivery services to transport and retrieve paper documents.

The e-signing process has proven easy to use, both for myself and my clients. I simply upload a document that I want signed, input the e-mail addresses for the involved parties and click Send. EchoSign e-mails each person and asks for his or her signature on the document. Once each party has e-signed, EchoSign automatically e-mails a final copy to everyone.

I can even review and sign contracts from a mobile device, like an iPhone, Palm or Windows Mobile phone. If a client signs a contract while I am on the go, I get a message from EchoSign on my Motorola Q. I can quickly sign the contract myself without needing to access a computer.

Facilitating contracts more quickly lets me complete more agreements in less time. This directly supports the vision I have for my practice; I love defending people who find themselves in a bind, and when I can do that without requiring lots of in-person contract review and incurring overhead costs, it makes the process easier for clients. For a busy attorney like myself, e-signatures save crucial resources, enabling me to focus on serving clients and maintaining an efficient, affordable law practice.

When potential clients come to me regarding a case, I let them know immediately that I do not operate a conventional law practice. I don't invest in expensive office space, elegant furnishings or any unnecessary elements that might raise my overhead and, by extension, my rates. I also let prospects know that I am dedicated to using cost-effective technologies that support a flexible working relationship and a more efficient path to resolving cases. Electronic signatures have become one my most important technological tools in meeting those goals.

Signatures are critical in the daily work of a legal practice. The basic law of contracts is that a contract is binding if the parties agree to its terms. Signatures indicate that two or more parties have agreed on a particular matter. Signatures do not, however, need to involve ink on paper. In fact, there are many benefits to avoiding the physical signing process.

ESIGN Changes the Practice of Law

The federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) solidified the validity of e-signing contracts. See, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.761.ENR. This Act basically says that electronic signatures are valid. The ESIGN act just celebrated its tenth birthday, and the market can look back on a decade of secure, legal e-signatures that facilitate business, close deals quickly and overhaul previously paper-wasting systems in an ecologically sensitive way.

In October 2000, ESIGN combined the convenience of electronic signatures with the consumer protections of appropriate notifications, disclosures and assurances of technological neutrality and universal access. The legislation provided for authentication processes, privacy protection, legal certainty and fraud shields. ESIGN also delivered the means for easy document access and record retention.

The Act has become a game-changer for industries, including insurance, travel and, of course, law. There are several reasons why. First, e-signatures deliver a proven return on investment. In a vendor situation, e-signatures can reduce the sales cycle by 200% to 400%. This holds true in other areas as well, since the effects of a speedier close echo throughout an organization. This level of cycle reduction frees up sales staff to follow new leads, shrinks personnel hours required for administrative tasks and creates positive experiences for prospects. That holds true for small services firms, such as mine, as well. I don't have a fleet of staff to chase down paper signatures, and I don't need one. Instead, I spend my time, and that of my small support team, providing valuable counsel to clients.

Executives in any industry will tell you that unsigned contracts aren't worth much. In the legal field, unsigned contracts can negatively impact clients who face small windows of opportunity during which to fight fines or jail time. Even with personal stakes that high, it's too easy for a willing prospect or client to push a pile of papers to the side of his desk or temporarily lose track of it under a mountain of other documents. When signatures are secured more quickly ' through easy and familiar e-mail processes ' businesses, customers and clients win. The result might be faster time-to-quota records, streamlined revenue processes or quicker settlement of legal cases, all of which positively affect a company's bottom line.

Finally, e-signatures solve another difficult problem faced by businesses of almost every size: paper. Paper files are cumbersome to store and search, particularly for managers who might not be involved in every part of the process for every deal or case. e-Signatures support tracking capabilities, deliver insight into contract status, reduce paperwork and improve productivity. Furthermore, in industries that require long-term storage of documents, such as law, electronic files are infinitely more attractive than paper. When I can avoid physical paper storage, I can keep my overhead costs down and pass that savings on to my clients.

Getting Clients on Board

I work with clients of varying degrees of technical prowess, and I have found that most all of them are able to easily use EchoSign (www.echosign.com) for e-signing documents related to their cases. With EchoSign's software, I can send out a contract and have it fully signed by all parties in five minutes. It's a great way to get e-signatures fast, to settle cases efficiently and to keep costs down, since I don't need to rely on couriers or delivery services to transport and retrieve paper documents.

The e-signing process has proven easy to use, both for myself and my clients. I simply upload a document that I want signed, input the e-mail addresses for the involved parties and click Send. EchoSign e-mails each person and asks for his or her signature on the document. Once each party has e-signed, EchoSign automatically e-mails a final copy to everyone.

I can even review and sign contracts from a mobile device, like an iPhone, Palm or Windows Mobile phone. If a client signs a contract while I am on the go, I get a message from EchoSign on my Motorola Q. I can quickly sign the contract myself without needing to access a computer.

Facilitating contracts more quickly lets me complete more agreements in less time. This directly supports the vision I have for my practice; I love defending people who find themselves in a bind, and when I can do that without requiring lots of in-person contract review and incurring overhead costs, it makes the process easier for clients. For a busy attorney like myself, e-signatures save crucial resources, enabling me to focus on serving clients and maintaining an efficient, affordable law practice.