A witness, on the same device.
In-person same-device handoff or email-a-witness. PIPEDA + Quebec Law 25 ready — and not something the US incumbents ship.
Witnessed signing, without the second app install.
Hand the phone across the table or send the witness a link. Either path is recorded on the audit certificate — who witnessed whom, when, and on what device.
Same-device handoff.
Primary signs, taps 'Hand to witness', and passes the phone. The witness gets a fresh banner — no second link, no app install, no email round-trip.
Or email a remote witness.
Witness can't be in the room? Add their email. They receive their own link with an attestation banner confirming whose signature they're verifying.
Cert page proves attestation.
The certificate of completion lists the witness's name, email, IP, timestamp, and the attestation statement — the same proof a court will ask for.
Configure once. Witnessed forever.
Add a witness role to any envelope or template. Toggle between same-device handoff and remote email. Lock the choice per-template so junior staff can't deviate from your firm's policy.
Role-based witnessing.
Witness is a first-class signer role with its own field set (name, signature, attestation checkbox) and its own audit timeline.
Province-aware language.
The attestation wording auto-adjusts: Quebec witnesses sign under Law 25 phrasing, the rest of Canada under provincial ECA equivalents.
Lock the witness identity.
Require the witness email upfront, or let the primary signer pick at handoff. Optional ID-document upload for high-value matters.
Audit cert proves who saw what.
Both signers and the witness appear on the cert with timestamps, IPs, and the exact attestation text — sealed under dual SHA-256.
No second app, no awkward forwarding
The signer taps "Hand to witness" and slides the phone over. The witness sees a wax-tint banner naming the primary signer they're witnessing, types their name, signs, ticks the attestation. That's the whole flow.
Real-time attestation.
The witness sees the primary signature already applied. They're attesting to what they just saw — not signing blind on a separate link a day later.
Mobile-first by design.
The handoff was built for phones. Same Ink. magnifier, same Tap-to-sign tooltip — the witness gets the same gentle UX the primary did.
Remote witnesses get the same proof.
If the witness is across the country, the email path still captures their identity, attestation timestamp, and IP. Same cert, same standing.
Zero friction, full record.
No account creation, no password reset. Witness lands, sees who they're witnessing, signs, done. The audit log captures every second.
Where Witness Flow is the difference.
Common Canadian matters where a witness is required by statute, court rule, or insurance carrier — and where the audit certificate is the document that matters most.
Wills + powers of attorney
Most provinces require an independent witness for a will or enduring POA. Same-device handoff replaces the print-sign-scan-courier loop in under two minutes.
Boutique law firm matters
Independent legal advice declarations, family law affidavits, separation agreements — the witness signs as part of the same audit cert, not a separate PDF.
Real estate POAs
Power of attorney for property closing when the seller is out of country. Remote witness path keeps everyone moving without flying the deed around.
Corporate resolutions
Director resolutions, share transfer agreements, and unanimous shareholder declarations that require attestation under provincial corporations acts.
Healthcare consent forms
Surgical consent and DNR forms where a clinical witness must attest the patient understood. Witness IP + timestamp on the cert satisfies most carriers.
Wealth management spousal consent
LIRA / RRIF spousal consent and beneficiary changes where the spouse must witness independently. Remote path means no in-branch visit.
Questions, answered.
Is a witnessed e-signature legally binding in every Canadian province?
Yes — every province's e-commerce act (Ontario ECA, BC ETA, Alberta ETA, Quebec LCCJTI, etc.) recognizes a witnessed electronic signature as equivalent to a wet-ink witnessed signature when the audit trail captures identity + intent + timestamp. The Ink. cert page captures all three for both signer and witness. The exception is some testamentary instruments (wills) where specific provinces still require a wet original — check provincial guidance.
What counts as "witnessing" in the same-device flow?
The witness must (a) see the primary sign in front of them and (b) personally apply their own signature confirming that fact. Ink. enforces this UX: the witness banner names the primary signer and shows their signature already on the document. The witness can't reach their fields until the primary has signed. Courts have accepted this pattern in Quebec, Ontario, BC, and Alberta in published rulings.
Does this comply with PIPEDA and Quebec's Law 25?
Yes. Both signer and witness data are stored in ca-central-1 (Montréal), residency never leaves Canada, and the consent gate captures explicit affirmative action from both parties before any field becomes editable. Audit retention defaults to 7 years (configurable to 15) per Law 25 record-keeping requirements.
Can I require a video recording as additional proof?
Optional — toggle "Capture device camera frames" in the witness role settings. Ink. samples the device camera at signature events (with explicit consent prompts the witness must accept). Frames are encrypted, attached to the cert as a separate evidence file, and never displayed on the signed PDF itself. Best for high-stakes matters; not required for most.
What exactly does the audit certificate show?
A dedicated "WITNESS ATTESTATION" section listing: witness name, email, IP address, user agent, timestamp of attestation, the exact attestation statement they confirmed (e.g. "I witnessed John Hsu sign this document on May 28, 2026 at 12:42 PM EDT"), and the device they used. Same SHA-256 hash protection as every other Ink. cert page.
Can the witness be the same person as the signer?
No — Ink. blocks identical email addresses across the primary and witness slots, and the audit log flags any attempt to use the same device in same-session for both roles without an explicit handoff event. This is a hard validation, not a soft warning. The whole point is independent attestation.
How is the remote witness's identity verified?
Email OTP by default — they must verify the email before the witness page loads. Add SMS OTP on the witness role for matters that require two factors. For premium identity assurance, Firm tier integrates with a Canadian KYC provider to capture government ID + selfie match; the verification record attaches to the cert page.
Still have questions?
Email us →Stop scanning witnessed PDFs.
Witness Flow ships with Team. Try it free — no card, no trial timer. The US incumbents don't ship this — we built it for Canadian law.