Timestamping contract execution: a client service checklist

Before signing: the checklist

• Agree the service in the engagement terms. Say that the firm will record an independent, dated fingerprint of the executed agreement, what the client receives, and what it costs.
• Name the version control. Decide which file is "the" execution version: the final PDF with all signature pages, or each counterpart.
• Check the final text. The TimeBind will match whatever file you give it, including mistakes. Read it first.
• Choose Pooled or ASAP. Pooled (1 Token, US$5 if bought on its own) is usually enough for routine agreements. ASAP (3 Tokens, US$15) suits anything likely to be contested, because it can be checked without relying on TimeBinder.

At signing: what to timestamp

1. The final agreed draft, just before signature. A dated record of the version both sides were about to sign.
2. The executed agreement, as one PDF. The complete file with all signature pages, exactly as it will be filed. Don’t re-save, compress or edit it afterwards.
3. Each executed counterpart, if the parties sign separately. Date each one, or zip them and date the zip.
4. Schedules and attachments that sit outside the main PDF. A TimeBind holds up to 10 files, so one TimeBind can cover the whole set.
5. Any later variation or side letter, when executed.

After signing: what to file

• The Proof of Time Certificate, saved to the matter next to the original file.
• A short file note: matter number, file name, who exported it, from which device, date, and why it was recorded. Keep the note factual.
• The original file, unchanged. The check later depends on the exact file. If it changes by one byte, it won’t match.
• Where verification is checked. Choose public verification by QR code, or restrict it to chosen email addresses, such as the client’s.
• A note to the client on how to check the certificate and where the file is held.

Reference text: keep it generic

Any reference text you add to a TimeBind is processed by TimeBinder, while the file itself stays on your device. Use the matter number, not client names or deal details.

What to tell the client

• It records an independent, dated fingerprint of the signed file.
• If a different version surfaces later, it won’t match the fingerprint.
• It doesn’t show who signed, that terms were agreed, or how a court will treat it.
• Keep the signed file and the certificate together, and don’t edit the PDF.

If a question comes up later

Re-fingerprint the file you hold, compare it with the certificate, and give the other side the file and certificate so they can check it too. A match shows the file is the same one that existed by the recorded time. Pair it with the usual evidence: the emails that covered the signing, the signature trail from your e-signature platform, and your file notes. Whether and how a court relies on any of it is a question for the court and for you as the lawyer. See independent timestamp vs traditional evidence of a file date.

Limits to remember

• It does not verify identity or witness a signature. Use e-signature, notarisation or witnessing where required.
• It does not show the contents are accurate or that anyone read them.
• It shows existence by the recorded time, not any earlier time.
• It is not a qualified electronic time stamp under eIDAS.

How to price this step

The firm buys the TimeBind from TimeBinder (first Pooled free, then from US$5, ASAP US$15, or less on a plan) and decides what to charge the client. Many firms include it in a fixed execution fee. Follow your own rules on fees and how charges are described. The service guide covers pricing options.

What a dated record adds at signing

Execution disputes often come down to which version was signed. E-signature trails show who signed; a TimeBind adds a record of the exact executed file held outside the platform, giving a layer of protection if a signed copy is later altered or challenged. It supports the signature record and does not replace it.

General information, not legal advice. A TimeBind shows that this exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. It does not show authorship, ownership, copyright status or how any court, tribunal, client or insurer will treat it.