Handling Declined or Expired Signatures
What to do when a signature request is declined or expires.
Not every signature request closes cleanly. The opposing appraiser opens the award, spots a number they did not actually agree to, and clicks Decline. Or two weeks pass, nobody acts, and the request expires on its own. Either way, the case sits stuck and you have to do something about it.
The temptation is to just resend the same document and hope for a different result. That almost never works. A decline usually means someone has a substantive concern, and an expiration usually means the request got lost in an inbox. Both need a different response, and resending blindly burns the relationship.
This article walks through how to read what actually went wrong and what to do next, so a stalled signature does not turn into a stalled case.
When a Signer Declines
- You'll receive an email notification
- The status shows "Declined" with the signer's name
- Any feedback they provided is shown
Next Steps
Review Feedback
Check if they provided a reason for declining.
Address Concerns
Modify the award if needed based on their feedback.
Re-send for Review or Signature
Start a new signature request with updated document.
Expired Requests
If a request expires, you'll need to cancel it and create a new one. Consider reaching out to the signers directly before resending.
Send Reminders