If you want to know what makes an electronic signature legally binding, what legislation supports its use, and how to make sure the signatures you send and request are as secure as possible, read on. In today`s virtual world, where many people work in the cloud and away from their colleagues, the concept of what makes a document “legal” has a new meaning, and new technologies have changed the types of signatures (including electronic signatures) that are acceptable for legal documents. In the context you describe, a term like “authorized person,” “official,” “appropriate public servant,” etc. might be what you`re looking for. The parties do not necessarily have to sign the same copy of the contract for it to be binding. If the parties sign different copies of the contract, they must agree that each of their signature pages together constitutes a complete signed agreement. For this reason, contracts often include a provision stating that “the parties may perform this contract in consideration, each of which is considered original and which are all but an agreement”. A notary is a state-approved official who authorizes the identity of each signatory and witnesses the execution of a document. A notary also takes an oath, certifies copies of documents and provides acknowledgments of receipt. Whether a document requires notarization (the process of signing its document by a notary) depends on state law and the regulations of financial institutions.
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