Electronic Signature Act Of 1996
(Condensed from AP article) Florida now recognizes electronic signatures as legal and binding. In other words - its okay to sign it by modem. The electronic Signature Act of 1996 passed the Legislature unanimously and became law Friday. The law does not specify how an electronic document must be signed, but it probably will mean coding the text and typed signature so they cannot be changed by anyone other than the writer. California and Utah are the only other states that have laws recognizing electronic signatures.
Ben Holiday writes:
Florida now recognizes electronic signatures as legal and binding. In other words - its okay to sign it by modem. [...] California and Utah are the only other states that have laws recognizing electronic signatures.
The lawyers here can correct me if I am wrong, but I get the impression that under the common law, an ink signature is merely a demonstration that a party assented to a contract, and except for certain contracts (which usually require witnesses etc.) there is no requirement in the law that a contract even be on paper. Given this, a digital signature could probably, under existing common law, be used as evidence of intent in a contract dispute just as a paper and ink signature could be, except in cases like real estate transfers which I already mentioned. Perry
participants (2)
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Ben Holiday -
Perry E. Metzger