The guarantor disputes signing the electronic guarantee

The signature is now part of the dispute

You prepare to rely on a personal guarantee and the named director says they never signed it. Preserve the original documents and obtain legal advice before continuing on the assumption that the file resolves the issue. Do not declare fraud from the denial alone. Equally, a name appearing in a document is not a reason to ignore a specific challenge to how it was executed.

Find the actual executed version

Imagine a supplier retaining a downloaded guarantee from an electronic signing platform. Accounts also has a later PDF with a similar filename. Identify which version was sent for signature, which was returned and what supporting records were retained. Keep the original files intact. Do not merge pages from different versions and present the combined document as the signed agreement.

Ask for advice on the evidence

Business.gov.au recommends clear contracts and advice about unclear terms. Give the lawyer the disputed guarantee, related credit application and the complete correspondence about signing. Explain exactly what the person denies. This article does not determine whether electronic execution was valid, who signed or whether the creditor has an enforceable guarantee; those issues require assessment of the actual evidence and law.

Source: business.gov.au: Prepare a contract

Preserve available platform records

Through authorised channels, ask about available completion records, timestamps and associated communications. Record what the provider supplies and any limitations. In the supplier's example, an invitation sent to a business email address may be relevant without proving who controlled it at the time. Avoid treating a single technical field as a complete answer to an identity dispute.

Separate fact from inference

List what the documents show and what remains to be established. Include any earlier acknowledgement or inconsistent explanation without editing it to strengthen your position. Do not access the person's private email or impersonate them to investigate. Have the lawyer advise how further evidence should properly be requested and how the disputed guarantee affects the proposed recovery step.

Reassess the recovery instruction

Keep the company debt and the disputed personal claim distinguishable. Consider the cost and practical value of further investigation with the adviser before escalating. A signing dispute needs a supported response about execution, rather than repeated demands relying on the same unexplained PDF. Preserve the evidence now so any later decision can be based on what actually occurred.