Signature workflow for a legal request

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Signature Workflow for a Legal Request

    The Signature Workflow for legal requests in ServiceNow allows users to obtain either electronic or wet signatures for contract documents. This functionality is essential for streamlining the legal approval process and ensuring compliance within legal service delivery.

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    Key Features

    • Electronic Signature: Signatories can sign documents electronically, triggering an automated workflow that updates the contract status and sends notifications. A certificate of completion can be generated by activating a specific system property.
    • Wet Signature: Signatories print, sign, and return the document manually. The signed document is then uploaded to the contract request, updating the contract status accordingly.
    • Automated Notifications: Email notifications are sent to signatories at each stage of the signing process, improving communication and tracking.
    • Validation Checks: The system validates mapped fields and their values during contract repository record generation, ensuring data integrity and providing feedback on any errors.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing the Signature Workflow, customers can efficiently manage legal requests with clear visibility into the signing process. The workflow ensures that contracts are signed, stored, and validated accurately, allowing for smooth legal operations. If a contract is declined, the requester can easily make edits and resend it for signature. Overall, this process enhances the reliability and efficiency of legal service delivery within ServiceNow.

    You can request an electronic signature or a wet (manual) signature for a legal request.

    Electronic signature workflow

    • Send the finalized document to the signatories for signing.
      • The Contract status updates to Awaiting Signature and the electronic signature flow is triggered as in the legal integration process. For more information, see Configure an e-signature provider for legal contracts.
      • An email notification that the contract document is available for signature is sent to the first signatory. The email contains a link to the contract document that the signatory can open and sign using the electronic signature provider configured in the electronic signature legal integration.

        The first signatory is the one whose Order value in the list of signatories is set the lowest. For more information, see Configure contract template rules.

        An email requesting a signature is sent to the next signatory after the first signatory has signed the contract.

    • Signatories can accept or decline the signature request.

      • The document is signed by a signatory.
        • If there are more signatories to sign the contract document, it’s sent to the next signatory in the order.

          The status of current signatory in the request updates from Pending Signature to Signed. The status of the next signatory updates from Not Started to Pending Signature.

        • After the last signatory has signed the document, the contract repository record is automatically created and the signed document is attached to it.

          For contract requests containing multiple contract documents, the signed contract document is split into individual documents and attached to the contract repository record for the respective contract type.

          The state of the requests updates to Contract Signed.

        • The legal request is automatically closed.
        • If the system property sn_cm_core.enable_executed_contract_audit_certificate is set to true, the certificate of completion is generated and attached to the contract repository record.
      • The document is declined by the signatory.
        • The contract document is sent back to the requester. An email notification that the signer has declined to sign the document is sent to the requester.

          The requester can edit the request and resend to signatories for signature.

          The Signatory status in the request updates to Declined.

        • The Contract status in the request updates from Awaiting Signature to Signing Declined.

    Wet signature workflow

    • Contract requester sends the document to the signatories.
      • The state and contract status are updated to Awaiting signature.
      • An email notification is sent to the signatories and the contract documents are attached as PDFs in the email.

        The signatory with the lowest Order value in the list of signatories is the first signatory and is placed in the To field of the email. The other signatories are placed in the CC field of the email.

    • Signatories accept or decline the document.
      • To accept the contract document, the signatories print the contract document, sign it, and return it to the contract requester.
      • To decline the contract document, signatories send the document back to the requester for necessary correction.
    • Contract user uploads the signed contract.
      • The signed contract document is uploaded in PDF format to the contract request.
      • The contract document is added to the repository after the contract document is uploaded.
      • The state of the request updates to Closed complete and the contract status updates to Contract signed.

      For more information, see Upload a manually signed contract for Non-disclosure agreement legal requests.

    While generating the contract repository record, the mapped fields and their values are validated for data type and correctness. If validation errors are found, an email notification is sent to the legal fulfiller. The email also displays list of fields that haven’t been copied into the final contract document and the link to the contract repository record. The fulfiller then opens the record using the link and corrects the values to resolve the validation errors.