When Vermont eventually issues rules for electronic signings and I'm allowed to do them, one question I will always keep in mind is how will the parties read and keep the documents?
Even if I'm convinced an electronic signing would be secure enough in a certain situation, I will be wondering if the signer, or the person receiving the document, has enough skill with technology to read the document once it arrives in their inbox (or wherever it arrives).
How long does it have to be kept? A month? A year? Does it have to be handed down to multiple generation? Do the people who will be storing it understand that all hard drives fail, all electronic document formats eventually become obsolete, and all cloud services eventually discontinue their service?
If the signer or recipient does not seem up to the task of properly handling the finished document, I will decline to perform an electronic notarial act. |
