Changing your signature

[frantelle]

Is there anything that I am required to do for legal reasons? Or is it just something that I start using and after x number of years all my documentation will have my new signature?

 

[kickazz]

No takers yet, I'll give it a go.

Perhaps the easiest way would be the next time you renew an official piece of ID like a passport or driver licence. A requirement of those is that you sign it in front of a qualified witness. This act makes it pretty legit.

From that point on, you have formal documentation of your signature.

Don't know if there is any other formal way of doing it, like signing a stat dec or something. Surely it's not an uncommon thing - many women (esp in the past) would have changed their signature after getting married.

Might be worth asking your bank what their policy is - I think in the old days they had special forms for this kind of thing.

 

[d33my]

Thought this was going to be about Bigfooty sigs...

Its a good question actually. I know mine has evolved over time, from when I was a teenager to now. It was pretty gradual, but if for some reason someone had something I signed when I was sixteen I don't reckon it would look like today's model.

 

[Selective Retention]

At a transaction level it makes no difference as when you get your new credit card you can just sign the new signature on the back of it and away you go.

I'm not officially registered as a signatory to sign cheques at work, yet in the 3+ years I've worked there not once have they pulled up a cheque, or a deposit slip for banking, that I have signed.

I doubt any bank or business would cross check signatures at all, unless transactions were reported as fraudulent.

It would be more of an issue I reckon with higher level legal documents (wills, property deeds etc) and maybe the tax office.

 

[YAZZ#13]

I doubt any bank or business would cross check signatures at all, unless transactions were reported as fraudulent.

Working as a financial adviser, I have certainly had many instances when clients signatures have been flagged by banks, super funds, etc. Institutions will usually have a copy of a drivers licence or passport on file and if the signatures don't match with the signature on the withdrawal form, rollover form, etc. they will often contact either me or the client directly to request a new signature which can be quite a hassle. This type of stuff is only going to get stricter as more and more anti fraud legislation is being passed.

If you wanted to change your signature, as suggested above, your best bet would be to get a new primary source of ID (passport, drivers licence) and sign it with your new signature then just roll with that going forward.

 

[Selective Retention]

Our cheque book is with a big 4 so they obviously don't check it, the finance team internally would know if it was a cent out, yet the bank doesn't cross check the signature.

I wouldn't trust the audit of any external business.

Telstra added someone else's account to an old deactivated one of mine, when they started sending me bills I requested the contract that was signed and it was by someone with the same name as me, they obviously don't bother cross checking signatures before billing people.

 

[YAZZ#13]

Fair enough, I haven't had any issues with a big 4 either. We have however with Macquarie Bank, Bendigo Bank and then most industry super funds (they hate letting go of the money)