Are Electronically Signed Documents Legal?

By Jedidiah McKeehan

Legal documents carry a certain weight of importance to them. Documents signed by people, lawyers and judges who are on file with the court seem like they need to be handled with more care and consideration than normal documents.

So can a legal document on file with the court be signed the same way you have to sign for your purchases at the grocery store? The answer is, “Yes, they can,” and this is allowed by a law that has been in effect since way before the pandemic.

In 2001 the Tennessee legislature enacted Tennessee Code Annotated section 47-10-107 which states, “(a) A record or signature may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form. (b) A contract may not be denied legal effect or enforceability solely because an electronic record was used in its formation. (c) If a law requires a record to be in writing, an electronic record satisfies the law. (d) If a law requires a signature, an electronic signature satisfies the law.”

So there you have it, you can absolutely file documents with the court simply by e-signing those documents. You do not need to drive across town to your lawyer’s office to sign documents and you do not need them to mail it to you. Tell them instead to send the documents to you online for you to e-sign.

Jedidiah McKeehan is an attorney practicing in Knox County and surrounding counties.  He works in many areas, including family law, criminal, and personal injury. Visit attorney-knoxville.com for more information about this legal issue and other legal issues.