Frequently Asked Questions
About Us
- What is Docracy?
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Docracy is a home for contracts and other legal documents, socially curated by the communities that use them. Our mission is to make these documents freely available for everyone, while in the process making them easier to customize and use. No more shady templates behind a paywall where you click download and just hope for the best. Instead we offer reputable, transparent sources and social proof to help you find something as close as possible to the perfect document.
The first version of Docracy was created at an all-night TechCrunch hackathon. It was started as a reaction to the problems Matt and John had finding reasonable documents when running their previous business. After discovering others were having the same problem, they began working on it full time with the backing of First Round Capital, Vaizra Seed Fund, Quotidian Ventures and Rick Webb.
- Why are you doing this?
- We're doing this because we believe that it shouldn't cost hundreds, or even thousands of dollars for people to make an enforceable agreement. We want to create a library of industry standard documents which will help you save on legal fees and transaction costs.
- Are your templates free?
- Yep. Free to download, customize, store and even e-sign. In fact, on Docracy, documents and e-signing will always be free. We might add premium document management features in the future, but what's free now, will stay free.
Documents
- Where do the documents come from?
- Anyone can upload or write a new document, including you. You can also edit and improve existing documents, either for the community or just for yourself. Documents are private by default: only you can see and edit them. If you make them public, only you, as the owner, will be able to edit them. However, if they are public, other people will be able to make a copy for themselves that they can then edit (we call it "branching").
- How do I know if I am using the right document?
- Unfortunately, we can't help you there. Every situation is unique and, if you are unsure of what you are signing, we recommend you talk to an attorney. If you are using a document uploaded by a lawyer, they might be the right person to ask since they'll know the document personally. Remember: we do not and cannot provide legal advice, and we are not a substitute for the work of a law firm or an attorney licensed in your state.
- I think one of the available templates on Docracy has an error / can be improved, what can I do?
- No problem, you can make it better. You can sign in, make your edits to the document and publish an improved version. Nice work.
- Can I add my own documents?
- Absolutely. You can upload your existing legal documents or create new ones from scratch. They will be securely and privately stored in your Document Dashboard and using Docracy, you can sign them with anyone for free.
Signing
- Is signing with Docracy legal?
- Yes, agreements signed using Docracy are valid and legally enforceable as we are ESIGN Act compliant. We use email addresses to identify the parties, and we encrypt all content. Whether you decide to type your signature or draw it, your contract is executed the moment both signatures are appended, with a timestamp automatically added to the online document and the PDF copy. Your signed documents are also securely stored, so you can access them anytime.
- Is storing documents on Docracy secure?
- Completely. Once you log into your account all, interaction with Docracy becomes encrypted and private to you and any person with whom you sign a document. We store documents in "the cloud" with industry leading service providers who support Docracy with world-class security and redundancy. On occasion, we need to perform regular maintenance tasks, but we never read or disclose your content without your permission.
- I have other questions, whom can I ask?
- Just click the support button on the right and we'll get in touch.