Guide
How to Sign a Letter of Intent Online
Letters of intent outline preliminary understanding between parties before formal agreements.
Steps
- 1
Draft LOI with proposed terms
- 2
Send to counterparty for signature
- 3
Counterparty reviews and signs
- 4
Both parties receive signed LOI
- 5
Move to formal agreement with signed intent on record
Try it with curl
curl -X POST https://signb.ee/api/send \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"content": "# Your Document\n\nContent here...",
"senderName": "Your Name",
"senderEmail": "you@email.com",
"recipientName": "Recipient",
"recipientEmail": "recipient@email.com"
}'Legal validity
Electronic signatures are legally binding under the ESIGN Act (US), eIDAS Regulation (EU), and Electronic Communications Act (UK). Every Signbee document includes a SHA-256 tamper-proof certificate.
More details
A Letter of Intent (LOI) — also called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) — is a pre-contract document that outlines the key terms both parties intend to agree to before drafting the full agreement. It signals serious intent without the full legal commitment of a binding contract.
When to use an LOI: - M&A transactions (before due diligence) - Commercial real estate deals (before formal purchase agreement) - Joint ventures and partnerships (before operating agreement) - Large procurement deals (before formal vendor agreement) - University research collaborations (before grant agreement)
Binding vs non-binding provisions: Most LOIs are a mix of binding and non-binding provisions. Typically: - Non-binding: Purchase price, deal structure, closing conditions - Binding: Exclusivity period, confidentiality, break fees, governing law
Always label each section clearly as 'binding' or 'non-binding' to avoid disputes.
Why sign an LOI electronically: Speed matters in deals. An LOI that takes a week to physically sign gives competitors time to intervene. Electronic signing means both parties sign the same day — locking in the exclusivity period immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Is a signed letter of intent legally binding?
Partially. Most LOIs contain a mix of binding provisions (exclusivity, confidentiality) and non-binding provisions (price, structure). Always label which sections are binding to avoid ambiguity.
What's the difference between an LOI and an MOU?
They're functionally identical — both outline preliminary terms before a formal agreement. 'Letter of Intent' is more common in M&A and real estate; 'Memorandum of Understanding' is more common in government and academic contexts.
Related resources
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