The Shift to Digital
Professional services are undergoing a quiet revolution. In legal, financial, and wealth management sectors, where documents and contracts form the backbone of client relationships, the shift from paper to digital has become non-negotiable. Among the technologies transforming these industries, electronic signatures (eSignatures) stand out. Once seen as a convenience, they are now fundamental to how firms deliver services in a world where clients expect both speed and security.
Why eSignatures Matter More Than Ever
Clients are increasingly digital-first, but they are also highly aware of risks around fraud and data misuse. That creates a pressing challenge for firms: how can they modernise processes without eroding trust?
eSignatures provide an answer by delivering:
- Security and compliance – legally binding agreements supported by digital audit trails.
- Efficiency – reducing delays caused by postal services, printing, or face-to-face meetings.
- Accessibility – clients can review and sign documents anywhere, at any time.
For legal professionals, this means faster turnaround on contracts and client documentation. For banks and building societies, eSignatures remove friction from loan or mortgage applications. And for wealth managers, they enable a seamless experience for high-net-worth clients who expect immediacy without compromising on privacy.
Key Industry Benefits
- Legal services: Faster, compliant execution of client agreements reduces administrative burden while ensuring regulatory needs are met.
- Wealth and asset management: Streamlined signing processes build trust with clients, helping firms remain agile in a competitive market.
- Banks and building societies: By accelerating documentation for mortgages, loans, and account onboarding, firms can lower operational costs and improve customer satisfaction.
Compliance and Trust: The Non-Negotiables
Speed and convenience are important, but compliance is non-negotiable. In the UK, eSignatures are recognised as legally valid under the Electronic Identification and Trust Services Regulation (eIDAS), provided they meet certain standards. This requires firms to ensure that audit trails, identity verification, and record-keeping are robust.
For international firms, equivalent frameworks exist — such as the ESIGN Act and UETA in the US — but the principle remains the same: adopting an eSignature solution isn’t just about going digital, it’s about choosing a platform that clients and regulators can trust.
A Market with Limited Choice
Despite growing demand, the eSignature market is dominated by a small number of large providers. While widely recognised, these platforms often come with high costs, rigid pricing models, and limited flexibility. For many firms, the lack of options to white-label solutions or integrate them seamlessly into existing systems means the client experience can feel fragmented and disconnected from the brand they trust.
This presents a dilemma: firms know they need eSignatures, but they also need solutions that fit within their wider digital client journey. As expectations rise, the ability to integrate eSignatures smoothly into portals, apps, and workflows will become just as important as compliance and security.
Choosing the Right Platform
For professional services, due diligence when selecting an eSignature solution is critical. Firms should ask:
- Does the platform comply with UK eIDAS requirements (and other regulations if operating internationally)?
- Can it be integrated into existing systems to maintain a seamless client journey?
- Is there flexibility for branding, white-labelling, or adapting to specific client needs?
- Does pricing reflect value, or is it inflating operational costs unnecessarily?
Platforms that answer these questions positively will be the ones that enable firms to deliver secure, efficient, and client-first services.
Looking Ahead
eSignatures are no longer just a digital replacement for the pen. They represent a broader shift towards trusted, technology-enabled client relationships, where security, compliance, and convenience work hand in hand.
That shift also highlights the need for choice in a market often dominated by inflexible, high-cost providers. Firms need solutions that align with their brand, their workflows, and their client expectations – not the other way around.
LegadoSign has been developed with this in mind: a secure, compliant, and cost-effective eSignature solution that can be integrated seamlessly into client journeys and white-labelled to maintain brand trust.
Closing Thoughts
For firms across legal, financial, and wealth sectors, eSignatures are now essential. But the decision isn’t only about adopting technology — it’s about adopting the right technology.
With LegadoSign, firms gain more than efficiency. They gain a platform designed to combine compliance with flexibility, security with ease of use, and brand alignment with client trust. By embedding eSignatures into the wider digital client journey, LegadoSign helps firms reshape their digital interactions and reinforce the trust that defines their profession.
Discover how LegadoSign can transform your client experience. Book a tailored walk through here.