SignAndGoHow to get a contract signed when nobody is in the same room.
Contracts used to wait for a meeting, or for the courier. Now the other party might be a client in Tauranga, a supplier in Melbourne or a director on holiday in Rarotonga. Here is how to run a contract signing at a distance, so every party signs in their own time and you end up with one finished copy everyone trusts.
Agree the wording first
Remote signing works best when the negotiation is finished before the envelope goes out. Swap drafts by email or in a shared document until everyone is happy, then convert the final version to PDF or upload the Word file. Sending a contract for signature while terms are still moving tends to produce declines and resends.
If you want a quick check on what changed between the last two drafts, SignAndGo's AI can compare two versions and give you a plain-language summary of the key terms.
Plan who signs and when
Think about the sequence before you send. A common pattern is the customer first, then your director. Ordered signing sends the contract to the next person only once the one before them has finished, so your director never signs something the customer later changes.
If everyone simply needs to sign, send to all of them at once and let each sign whenever suits.
- In order: each person receives the contract after the previous one signs.
- All at once: everyone receives it together.
- Approver: someone who reviews it before or after the signers.
- Copied in: receives the finished contract, signs nothing.
Time zones and devices
Because the signer opens a link rather than attending a meeting, the time difference stops mattering. Someone in London can sign at breakfast while your office is closed. They can use a phone, tablet or laptop, and they don't need an account.
Write a short covering message saying what the contract is and when you need it back. SignAndGo can help you draft that message if you are short on time.
Keeping it moving
Watch the envelope's status to see who has opened the contract and who is still to sign. If a party goes quiet, send a reminder, or set reminders to go out automatically. If someone objects to a clause, they can decline and tell you why, which is far better than silence.
The finished contract
When the last party signs, everyone receives the completed contract by email with a completion certificate. The audit trail records each view and signature with names, email addresses, times and IP addresses, and the verification ID lets anyone confirm the copy later.
Common questions
- Can an overseas party sign?
- Yes. They open the link in a browser wherever they are.
- What if one party wants to change a clause?
- They can decline with a reason. Update the contract and send a fresh envelope.
- Can my director approve before the customer signs?
- Yes. Add them as an approver who reviews the contract before anyone signs.