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The "part of contract terms" checkbox explained.

The part of contract terms checkbox is a protection where you have more than one signer and a signer field with content that affects the meaning of the contract's terms.

When ticked on a signer field, this function ensures no one can execute the document without that field complete. If the field relates to a term of the contract you don't want the document to be executed without it completed, since this would undermined the validity of the contract.

Sometimes a field may not relate to any terms, perhaps a date or a printed name under a signature. In this case untick this field, so that it does not prevent other signers from executing the document.

The part of terms checkbox can cause a snarl up in your workflow where you have more than one signer, and a second (or later) signer has this option ticked. In this case, the first signer will not be able to execute the document - after all, how can they if there is a key contract term undefined.

Here are the ways you can workaround this issue:

  1. If the text to be filled in is not part of the contract terms (for example, the signer printing their name) then untick the 'Part of terms' checkbox for the text input. It none of a signer's text inputs are part of the contract terms then other signers will not be forced to wait on them.

  2. If you are one of the signers then complete your text fields when sending the document, not when signing it.

  3. Use the option to 'Send to signers in sequence' (see 'signing options' on the send document page). If you have one signer who has to complete text fields and the other does not, then make the signer with text fields signer 1. The document goes to this person first, they fill in their text fields and can execute the document before signer 2 is notified. Signer 2 can immediately execute the doc.

If you have no option but to make a signer wait, then Legalesign does manage this process. It will inform signers what is happening and will send emails to progress the process to completion. But signers can still find it disruptive to wait and return later. We recommend that you give additional warning to signers who may experience this by explaining what may happen in the personal message you can add to their email.