A dated approval, in the name of whoever gave it
Sign-off
Each party’s agreement, dated
Submit the agreement to mediate or the draft settlement. Each party accepts or declines, and the answer stays dated, in their name: a simple approval, not a qualified electronic signature.
- Every party asked answers
- You see who has not answered yet
- Nothing can be changed afterwards
Replaces: An "ok" on WhatsApp · An email nobody answers
A simple, dated approval, not a qualified e-signature
“Fine by me” is worth nothing three months later
Approvals are given quickly: a message in the evening, an “ok” between two appointments, sometimes a phone call. They are found again far more slowly. When the question comes back (who approved, when, and what exactly), you reopen a thread, squint at a screenshot, and trust your memory.
The approval was never filed anywhere: it lived in a channel made for conversation, which keeps no record.
A yes or a no, with the date and the name
A sign-off is reserved for the professional: you ask for it, never the client.
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The subject
You write what is being accepted, in full (“Quote no. 2, bathroom”, “Variation no. 1”), and you can attach a document.
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The people
You name who must answer, at least one person. Each answers for themselves, from their link, without an account.
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The answer
Accept, or refuse with a reason, which is mandatory. Before confirming, the person re-reads the subject and is told the approval is final.
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The record
An acceptance stores the date, the time, the person, and the exact subject accepted along with the document attached at that moment. It cannot be edited afterwards.
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The status
“pending”, then “approved” once every named person has accepted, or “refused” as soon as one refuses. You see who has answered and who has not yet.
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The deadline
Optional, it triggers the automatic reminders.
In practice
Building and renovation. The quote, the plans, the contract, variation no. 1: the template catalogue provides each as a sign-off, with a seven-day deadline apiece. When a client disputes a variation, you find who accepted it, on which day and on which text.
Accounting and law firms. Annual accounts to approve before filing, fee agreement, draft pleadings: the client has to answer yes or no, and you have to be able to say later who said yes. For two partners, you name both: the approval is complete only if both accept.
What it does not do
It is a simple, dated, named approval, with no value as a qualified electronic signature. Kolinea claims no particular legal value for it, and the response screen reminds the person of this when they answer (“Simple approval, with no electronic-signature value”). If your field requires a qualified signature, that goes through another tool.
A sign-off runs one way: the client answers it, and cannot submit one.
Related reading
For a choice between several options rather than a yes or no, see the choices. The method, meaning what a useful record must contain and when a simple approval is enough, is covered in the article how to keep a record of a client decision. On a building site, the article site updates with your client, without WhatsApp shows where variations fit in.
Sign-off, in other lines of work
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