I recently noticed a couple wedding photographers had it to where the contract was handled through e-mail. Where the contract was e-mailed, and then if the client agreed they could just reply to the e-mail with their initails.

Is this legal? Do you know if it varies state to state? The photographers I mentioned are from California and I am from Ohio.

Thanks to everyone in advance!

We've been told that an e-mailed contract won't fly. It must be signed. Oddly, though, a faxed contract will hold up. So we got a fax machine.

Thanks Adam, that is good to know. I think DJ does an e-mail contract, so maybe only for certain states?

I am not sure how others are emailing contracts but if you use Adobe Acrobat to convert the contract to a PDF file there is a function in Adobe which allows the signer to digitally sign and certify a contract.

In reading about the process on Adobe's site, there's lots gobbly-goo about encryption and other technical stuff that makes it sound very ironclad. I am not an attorney so I am unsure about how well it would hold up in court. But I just that I'd thow it out there.