Governance request template

Shareholders agreement signing request template

A shareholders agreement sets out the rights, obligations and decision rules between a company's shareholders, sent for signing via Cosign.

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What is a shareholders agreement?

A shareholders agreement is a private contract between the owners of a company that governs how the business is run, how decisions are made, and what happens when a shareholder wants to exit. It sits alongside the company constitution and often takes priority on the matters it covers. Because it deals with control, money and exits, every shareholder needs to read it carefully and sign the same final version.

For a growing business, a signed shareholders agreement reduces the risk of costly disputes by spelling out share transfer rules, drag-along and tag-along rights, dividend policy and how deadlocks are broken. Getting it executed cleanly matters: an unsigned or partly signed agreement may be hard to rely on later. A signing tool helps you collect every signature on the agreed document, but it does not replace advice from a lawyer or accountant on the terms themselves.

When to use a shareholders agreement

Bringing on a new investor or co-founder who is taking equity
Formalising arrangements between existing shareholders for the first time
Updating ownership terms after a funding round or share issue
Recording exit, buyout and pre-emptive rights before a dispute arises

What to include in a shareholders agreement

Shareholding structure: each holder's shares, class and percentage at the date of signing.
Decision-making rules: matters needing board, ordinary or special shareholder approval.
Share transfers: pre-emptive rights, drag-along and tag-along provisions on a sale.
Exit and valuation: how shares are valued and bought back if someone leaves.
Dispute resolution: deadlock-breaking process and governing law in the relevant state.

Pros and cons of sending a shareholders agreement as a signing request

Pros

Every shareholder signs the same agreed version, with no document drift
See who has opened, previewed, signed or declined in real time
Automatic reminders chase outstanding signatures without awkward emails
A completion receipt records who signed and when for your records

Cons and things to watch

Cosign sends and tracks signing; it does not draft or check your terms
All parties should take their own legal advice before signing
Signers need their own email access and a device to open the link
Disputed clauses must be resolved before the document is finalised

How to send a shareholders agreement with Cosign

Upload the final shareholders agreement and use preview to confirm it is the agreed version before sending.
Add each shareholder as a signer in the order you want, using their correct legal names and emails.
Set a 14-day expiry and add password protection given the sensitive ownership details.
Send the request, track opens and signatures, and keep the completion receipt once everyone has signed.

Shareholders agreement request details

Email subject

Shareholders agreement signing request

Default message

Please review and sign this shareholders agreement before completion.

Signer setup

Shareholders

Suggested expiry

14 days

Button label

Sign shareholders agreement

Best fit

Governance teams

Shareholders agreement FAQs

Is an electronically signed shareholders agreement legally valid in Australia?

In Australia, electronic signatures are generally recognised under Commonwealth and state electronic transactions laws and company execution provisions. Validity depends on the circumstances, so confirm your specific requirements with a lawyer. Cosign records when each party signed to support your records.

Who needs to sign a shareholders agreement?

Generally every current shareholder is a party and signs, and the company is often a party too. Anyone acquiring shares under the agreement should also sign. Check the document's signing requirements before you send it.

Is the shareholders agreement kept private when I send it through Cosign?

Yes. Each signer receives a private link, and the document is not published or indexed by search engines. You can add password protection for an extra layer of access control.

What happens if one shareholder declines to sign?

Cosign records the decline and notifies you so you can follow up. The agreement is only fully executed once every required party has signed. You may need to renegotiate terms before resending.

Can I set an expiry and send reminders for signing?

Yes. You can set an expiry, such as 14 days, and Cosign can send reminders to signers who have not yet completed. This helps you collect all signatures without manual chasing.