Using pre-signed signature clauses

What if you have an important contract to enter into, but one of your signatories cannot make the completion meeting? Pre-signed signature clauses can be used in some cases, with caution.

Absent signatories

Ideally, all relevant signatories should be able to execute a document in person. However, this is not always possible. Subsequent to case law which found that documents created using pre-signed signature pages were not valid, the Law Society set up a working party to give guidance on what would satisfy the legal formalities for execution while giving companies the flexibility of using signatories who cannot all be physically present. The guidance is summarised in our table.