How clients sign documents

When your firm sends a document for e-signature, the client receives a secure link that opens a clean, guided signing page. There is no account to create and nothing to install. This page explains exactly what your clients (and any external signers) see, so you can set expectations, answer questions, and reassure them that the process is simple and legally sound.

The signing experience runs on a separate, public signing site (the page address contains /sign/). Your client never logs in to your firm dashboard and never sees any of your internal records. They only see the one document they were asked to sign.

Before you begin

This page describes the client side of e-signature. To put it in motion from the firm side, see Requesting e-signatures and Managing signature requests.

A few things that shape what your client sees:

• The signer must be added to the request. Each person you add as a signer (a contact, a firm member, or an external email address) gets their own private link. The link is tied to that one signer, so it cannot be forwarded to someone else and used in their place.
• The signer's email must match. Security is built around the signer's verified email address. The client unlocks the document by proving they own the email address you have on file for them, so make sure the email on the signer is correct.
• Required fields must exist. When you place signature, initials, or other fields on the document, the client cannot finish until every field marked required has a value. Fields you mark optional can be left blank.
• Sequential vs. parallel order. If you set the request to sign in a specific order (sequential), a signer's link only becomes active when it is their turn. Until then, their link is not yet ready and they should wait for their notification.

What your client sees when asked to sign

Your client receives an email from your firm inviting them to review and sign a document. The email contains a button or link that opens the signing page in their web browser. Once they unlock the link (see below), they land on the signing surface:

• The document fills most of the screen so the client can read every page before signing.
• A signing panel on the right (or below, on a phone) shows who they are signing as, the consent disclosure, and the main signing button.
• Highlighted fields appear on the document itself. Every place that needs the client's input is marked with a colored, gently pulsing box. Boxes that still need attention are amber; once filled, they turn green.
• A progress hint near the top of the panel reads "X required fields left" and switches to "All required fields complete" when the client has finished everything required.

The client signs entirely in the browser. Nothing downloads to their computer until the document is complete.

Opening and unlocking the signing link

Before anyone can see the document, they must unlock the link. Esqase supports two ways to do this, and your firm's setup determines which one your client sees.

Unlocking with an email sign-in link (the default)

This is the standard, passwordless method. The client proves they own the signer email by receiving a one-time secure link.

1. The client clicks the link in your firm's invitation email. The signing page opens to a panel titled with the document name, asking them to enter the email address your firm has on file.
2. The client enters that email and clicks Email me a sign-in link.
3. The page confirms with Check your email, telling them a secure sign-in link has been sent and to open it on the same device.
4. The client opens the second email and clicks its sign-in link. The page briefly shows Signing you in while it verifies, then opens the document, ready to sign.

Unlocking with a password

Some firms protect a signing link with a password instead. In that case, the client sees a panel titled with the document name that reads "Enter the password from [your firm]'s email to review and sign this document."

1. The client enters the password your firm provided.
2. They click Open document. The button shows Unlocking... while it checks the password, then opens the document.

If the password is wrong, the client sees "That password and link do not match. Check your email and try again."

Requesting a new sign-in link

Email sign-in links are single-use and time-limited, so a client may need a new one. This is normal and quick.

1. If the link has expired or was already used, the page returns the client to the unlock panel and shows "We could not sign you in," with a note that the link is invalid or has expired and to request a new one.
2. The client simply re-enters their email and clicks Email me a sign-in link again to receive a fresh link.
3. On the Check your email screen, if they used the wrong address, they can click Use a different email to start over.

If a client tells you the page says "Signing link unavailable" (with the note "That signing link is not active. Check the URL from your email, or contact the firm to request a new link."), the link itself is no longer valid. This happens when the request was already completed, declined, canceled (voided) by your firm, or the link was mistyped. In that case, send the client a new signing request from your dashboard. See Managing signature requests.

Reviewing the document and completing fields

Once the document is open, the client works through it field by field. Esqase makes the required spots obvious so nothing gets missed.

1. The client scrolls through the document. Every place that needs input is marked with a highlighted box. Amber boxes still need attention; green boxes are done.
2. The client clicks a box to fill it. What happens next depends on the field type:
   • Signature and Initials open a capture window (see the next section).
   • Full name is pre-filled with the signer's name; clicking it lets the client edit the value in an Enter value dialog.
   • Date signed is pre-filled with today's date; the client can adjust it the same way.
   • Text opens the Enter value dialog so the client can type whatever the field asks for.
   • Checkbox toggles on or off with a single click (a checked box shows an X).
3. As the client fills fields, the counter in the panel updates ("X required fields left"). When it reads "All required fields complete," every required field is done.

Placing a signature or initials

When the client clicks a Signature or Initials box, a window titled "Adopt your signature" (or "Adopt your initials") opens. It offers three ways to create the mark, on tabs:

• Draw: The client signs with a mouse, trackpad, or finger on a touchscreen. A Clear button lets them start over.
• Type: The client types their name and it is rendered in a handwriting-style font, shown in a live preview.
• Upload: The client uploads an image of their signature (any standard image file). A preview appears once it loads.

When the mark looks right, the client clicks Apply signature (or Apply initials).

Accepting consent and submitting

Before the client can sign, they must agree to use electronic records and signatures. Esqase records the client's agreement, and the exact disclosure text they agreed to is kept with their signature and shown on the Certificate of Completion.

1. In the signing panel, the client reviews the Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure. The full text is shown in a scrollable box, and the client must scroll all the way to the bottom before they can agree to it. Until they reach the end, a "Scroll down to continue" hint appears at the foot of the box and the consent checkbox is greyed out and cannot be ticked.
2. Once the client has scrolled to the end of the disclosure, the checkbox becomes available. They tick the box that reads "I have read the disclosure above and agree to use electronic records and signatures." Until this box is checked, the signing button stays disabled and the panel shows the reminder "Agree to the disclosure above to enable signing."
3. With consent given and all required fields complete, the client clicks Adopt & Sign.
4. A brief overlay shows Signing... and then Opening... while the signature is recorded, after which the client is taken to a confirmation page.

Declining to sign

A client is never forced to sign. They can decline at any time, with an optional reason.

1. In the signing panel, the client clicks Decline.
2. A window titled "Decline to sign?" opens, explaining that this stops the signing request. It includes an optional Reason box.
3. The client may type a reason (or leave it blank) and then clicks Decline to confirm, or Cancel to go back.
4. After declining, the client is taken to the confirmation page.

The signing confirmation page

After the client signs or declines, they land on a simple confirmation page so they know the action went through. There are two versions.

After signing

The page shows a checkmark and the title "Document signed," with the message "Thank you. Your signature on [document] has been recorded. [Your firm] will receive the completed document." A Back to home button takes the client to the Esqase home page.

After declining

The page shows a "Signing declined" title with the message "You declined to sign [document]. [Your firm] has been notified." A Back to home button is also shown.

If the client returns to their original signing link after finishing, Esqase recognizes the request is complete and sends them straight back to this confirmation page rather than reopening the document. There is nothing left for them to do.

What happens after signing

The client does not have to do anything else once they sign, but it helps to know what happens behind the scenes so you can answer their questions.

• The document is sealed. When the last required signer has signed, Esqase finalizes a single, completed copy of the document with every signature and field in place. The finished file is tamper-evident: it carries a digital seal so any later change to it can be detected.
• A Certificate of Completion is attached. Alongside the signed document, Esqase generates a Certificate of Completion, an audit record that lists each signer, their email, when they viewed the document, when they consented, when they signed, the signing method they used (drawn, typed, or uploaded), and technical details such as IP address and device. It also reproduces the consent disclosure the signers agreed to and includes verification hashes of both the original and signed files.
• Your firm receives the completed document. The sealed file and its certificate become available in your firm's documents area. If the request was tied to a matter, it appears with that matter as well. See The documents workspace and The matter workspace.

Common questions

Does the client need an Esqase account to sign? No. The signing link plus a verified email (or a password, if your firm uses one) is all they need. There is nothing to install and no account to create.

Can the client sign on a phone? Yes. The signing page works on phones and tablets, and the Draw tab lets them sign with a finger. Remind them to open the email link and finish signing on the same device.

Can a client forward their link to a colleague to sign instead? No. Each link is tied to one signer and unlocks only for the email (or password) on that signer. To let someone else sign, add that person as a signer from the firm side.

What if the client filled the wrong value in a field? Before they click Adopt & Sign, they can click any field again to change it, including re-opening the signature capture window. Once they submit, the document is final and they should contact your firm.

The client says the page won't let them sign. What's wrong? The Adopt & Sign button stays disabled until both the consent box is checked and every required field is filled. The consent box itself only becomes available after the client scrolls the disclosure to the bottom, so if it looks greyed out, ask them to scroll through the Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure first. Then have them look for the "required fields left" counter and the consent checkbox.

Troubleshooting

• The client never got the sign-in email. Confirm they entered the exact email on the signer, ask them to check spam, and have them request the link again. Remember the page shows the same "Check your email" message whether or not the address matches, so verifying the signer email on your side is the reliable check.
• The link says "Signing link unavailable." The request was completed, declined, canceled, or the URL was altered. Send a new request.
• The client is locked out after several tries. They hit the attempt limit. They should wait a few minutes, then try again, or you can issue a new link.
• The client signed but says nothing happened. Ask whether they reached the Document signed confirmation page. If they did, the signature was recorded and the completed document will appear on your side; check the request status in Managing signature requests.

Related

• Requesting e-signatures
• Managing signature requests
• The documents workspace
• Sharing documents
• How clients view shared documents
• Notifications