Law firms · GuardenerAI Signatures

E-signatures for law firms.

Law firms use GuardenerAI Signatures to send engagement letters from the client's record, have the client sign on any device, route the countersignature to a partner or a queue, and keep a sealed PDF with a full evidence trail on file.

The engagement letter is the last step before a new matter can start, and it is usually the slowest. When the letter lives in the CRM, it goes out the moment the conflict check clears, and the signed copy files itself beside the client.

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Engagement letters written once

Write each letter as a template in the app, with the client's details merged in when you send it. Different practice areas get different templates, so a litigation retainer and a corporate engagement never share wording by accident.

  • Templates are written in the app, with merge fields for the person's details, your firm's name and the date sent.
  • Apply your letterhead and set how many days a request stays open before it expires.
  • Set your own email subject line, so the client recognises the firm in their inbox.
  • Fees go into the template text or the request itself; they are not merged from the matter.

Sent the moment the matter is ready

The Professional Services template puts an Engagement Letter stage on the pipeline. When an opportunity reaches it, open the client's person record and send the letter from there.

  • Pick the template, review the frozen document and send. The wording cannot change after it goes out.
  • The client gets an email with a secure link, agrees to sign electronically, then draws or types a signature.
  • Status moves through Sent, Viewed, Customer signed and Awaiting countersign to Completed, so the whole team can see where each letter stands.
  • Requests that are not signed in time expire on their own, and you can void one that should not be signed.

Countersigned by the right partner

Each template sets who countersigns: nobody, a specific colleague, or a queue that any partner can claim. Countersigning happens inside GuardenerAI, signed in, so the client never needs an account.

  • Route letters for a practice area to one responsible partner.
  • Or send them to a partners' queue, so whoever is free picks them up.
  • The request waits in Awaiting countersign until it is done, visible on the person's record.

A signed copy you can stand behind

The finished document carries its own record of how it was signed, which matters when a fee dispute comes up a year later.

  • Every step is logged with the time, IP address and browser, and tied to a SHA-256 hash of the document.
  • The final PDF includes a certificate of completion and is sealed with a PAdES digital seal, so later changes are detectable.
  • The sealed copy is filed in the person's Files, and the client gets a link to download it.

How to set it up

  1. Apply the Professional Services starter template in Settings to get Matters and the Engagement Letter stage.
  2. Write an engagement letter template for each practice area, with merge fields, your letterhead and an expiry in days.
  3. Choose the countersign mode on each template: none, a specific partner, or a queue.
  4. When an opportunity reaches Engagement Letter, open the client's person record and send the request.
  5. Watch the status on the person's record, and countersign from the app when it reaches Awaiting countersign.

Worth knowing

  • Each request has one customer signer plus an optional countersigner from your side. There are no multi-signer envelopes, no signing order and no drag-and-drop field placement.
  • Merge fields fill from the person you send to, your organisation name and the date sent. Fees and amounts are not merged from the CRM, so write them into the template or the request before you send.
  • Requests are sent from a person record. They are not sent from a matter or an opportunity.
  • Whether an electronic signature is right for a given document depends on your jurisdiction and the document type. Check with your own adviser.
FAQ

Fair questions.

Can two clients sign the same engagement letter?
Not on one request. Each request has one customer signer plus an optional countersigner from the firm. For joint clients, send a separate request to each person.
Can the letter include our fee schedule?
Yes, as text in the template or the request. Amounts are not merged automatically from the matter or the opportunity.
Where does the signed letter end up?
As a sealed PDF with a certificate of completion in the client's Files, and the client receives a download link by email.
Does the client need a GuardenerAI account?
No. The client signs from the emailed link on any device. Only the countersigner signs in.