---
id: KB-CO-009
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/consigne/the-legal-standing-of-the-signature
idioma: en
categoria: consigne
subcategoria: prueba
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-CO-003, KB-TZ-001]
citadoPor: [KB-CO-012, KB-CO-018, KB-CO-022, KB-GL-003, KB-GL-004, KB-GL-007]
---

# What the signature is worth

_What an electronic signature actually proves, and what it takes to defend it._

**Responde a:** is an electronic signature legally valid · what is a digital signature worth · does it hold up in court · simple vs qualified signature

An electronic signature is not worth something because it is electronic: it is worth what it can prove. And what it can prove is three concrete things.

**En corto**

- Who signed — and what was used to check it was that person.
- What they signed — the exact document, not a similar version.
- When they signed — with a time you did not set yourself.

## All three, together

Each one alone can be argued with. Together, not so: if the document carries a fingerprint no later change could match, the time is certified by a third party, and there is a record that the signer received a code on their phone and entered it, anyone disputing it has to explain how all of that happened without them.

## How much checking is right

| What you are signing | Reasonable checking |
| --- | --- |
| An internal authorisation | Email. The signer is already identified by their account |
| A contract with a third party | Code to their phone. Adds something only that person has |
| A significant financial commitment | Phone code plus identity document |

_More checking is more friction. The balance follows what is at stake, not habit._

> [!WARNING]
> Some documents must by law be signed before a notary or with a qualified signature. No platform replaces that; if you are unsure about a specific document, ask your adviser first.

**Is it valid outside Spain?**

The European framework (eIDAS) recognises electronic signatures across the EU. Outside, it depends on the country.

**What if the signer denies it was them?**

That is what the evidence is for: time, device, code received on their number.

**Do I need to keep the PDF?**

You can, but the copy with the evidence lives on the platform and can be verified without it.

## Ejemplos

**A supplier denies having accepted a contract term two years later.**

- The signed document is retrieved
- Fingerprint, certified time and the record of the code sent to their phone are checked

→ The argument ends without lawyers: what is on record admits only one reading.

**A signer denies having signed.**

- Opens the evidence chain

→ The code, the device and the time are on record.

**There is a question whether it counts as much as a paper signature.**

- Compares what is recorded in each case

→ It becomes clear that on paper the time is almost never recorded.

**The signature must be defended before a third party.**

- Provides the document with its evidence

→ The third party verifies for themselves.

**A sensitive document was signed at a low level.**

- Reviews the level criteria by document type

→ The level matches the risk from the start.

**Only a screenshot was kept.**

- Keeps the original signed document

→ The proof is the file rather than an image.