As a general rule, a counter-clause would be: “This agreement can be executed in any number of counterparties, each, when executed and delivered, represents an original double, but all the considerations combined constitute a single agreement.” The counterparty clause states that the parties are not obliged to sign the same copy of an agreement and that all copies may be treated as original for evidence. Some clauses provide that the agreement is effective only when one of the parties complies with the agreement it has signed. In recent years, more and more people have used electronic signatures (e-signatures) to sign contractors. The absence of a counter-clause does not in itself invalidate any agreement that the parties execute through separate counterparties. However, a counter-clause may help prevent a party from arguing that an agreement is not binding because there is not a copy signed by all parties or because they did not know that they are entering into a binding contract by signing an agreement that was not signed by the other parties. If you are wondering about the legality of an electronic signature in a particular contract, look first at the contract and the counterparty clause. If you are still unsure, speak to a lawyer. However, some controversial English courts indicated that, in certain circumstances, contracts and acts performed could be virtually unenforceable. To clarify the legal situation, guidelines have been published by the Law Society Committee of the Law Society Company and the City of London Law Society Law and Financial Law Committee. These guidelines should be taken into account when preparing closures or signatures, particularly when some parties wish to sign documents in practice because they cannot personally attend the meeting. There are two main reasons for this clause. “The first is that the counter-clause makes it clear that each party does not need to sign the same copy of the document in order to have a legally enforceable agreement.” If a party wants the original contract to be notarized, the counter-party clause is always useful. This means that there is not a single original contract signed.
Registration to the equivalent means that contracts or double deeds are printed, so that there is a separate copy for the signature by each party. Conversely, a copy of the contract or the signing of the contract is printed and signed by all parties. If you have many parts in different places, this is a useful tool to allow completion without releasing a single copy of a document to all parties to sign. Often, a clause is displayed in the agreement that allows the signatories to sign it as an equivalent. Documents are most often executed in the form of simple contracts. A contract becomes mandatory on the date on which both parties intend to implement it, which is generally demonstrated by both parties who sign the agreement.