LAST UPDATED: May 2026

By Natalie Chapman, Content Marketer for Passare

You work hard to provide meaningful service to every family. And while you’re doing that, you’re also making sure they sign all the right forms to keep the planning process moving.

For some families, the traditional pen‑and‑paper method of signing forms still works just fine. But as Austin Muir, Funeral Director at McDougal Funeral Home, put it:

“Today's world is very different because people don't stay put very long anymore… And when a death occurs, the whole family likely isn’t all in the same place at the same time.”

In fact, last year, 52% of families were an average of 169 miles away from their loved ones… some families were even separated by 1,000 miles.

So, how do you get everyone in one place at one time to sign important documents without inconveniencing anyone?

That’s a tough ask. But the good news is that there’s a solution that can help: digital signatures.

In this article, we’ll cover the top 3 benefits of gathering signatures digitally and how they can make the paperwork process more convenient for everyone involved.

#1: eSignatures give you more control of the process

From start to finish, an eSignature tool helps you and your staff gain control of the entire signature process.

In Passare, eSignatures happen within the software, making sure forms are consistent, complete, and always tied back to the right case. You can upload and create forms specific to the case you’re working on and add custom fields so you can capture everything you need on each form.

From who signs what to where they sign, you and your staff can rest easy in the confidence of knowing exactly what’s being sent to each family.

And for families, this means a faster, simpler way to complete paperwork during an already overwhelming time. They receive only the forms they need, which are clearly organized and easy to sign.

#2: eSignatures help eliminate stress for everyone

Paperwork can quickly become overwhelming for families when it requires printing, scanning, or trips to the funeral home just to sign a form.

With digital signatures, you can send documents with just a few clicks, and families can sign from anywhere, on any device.

In the last year alone, funeral homes collected 83,409 digital signatures on 30,102 cases. And behind every one of those signatures is a family who didn’t have to take time off work, drive across town, or find a notary just to sign a document.

When families can sign from wherever they are, on their own schedule, you eliminate a huge source of stress for both them and your staff.

#3: eSignatures keep you updated on the status of paperwork

Knowing the status of each signature throughout a long period of time is almost impossible when you’re relying on paper files, email chains, and your own memory.

With Passare’s eSignature tool, you can stay up to date on where your signatures are and what is needed to complete each form by setting up notifications each time a form is updated.

“We can easily get files and photos in the Planning Center and get signatures using the built-in eSignature tool.

On top of all that, signatures in Passare are verified with an IP address stamp to make sure that the person who signed it is who they say they are.”

-Austin Muir, Funeral Director
McDougal Funeral Home

When you and your team can easily see who signed what and when, you can follow up with families at the right time instead of wondering what forms still need to be completed.