diff --git a/packages/cicero-cli/index.js b/packages/cicero-cli/index.js
index 6361b242a..2d1f497a4 100755
--- a/packages/cicero-cli/index.js
+++ b/packages/cicero-cli/index.js
@@ -149,11 +149,15 @@ require('yargs')
         }
     })
 
-    .command('verify', 'verify the template signatures of the template author/developer', (yargs) => {
+    .command('verify', 'verify the signatures on template or contract instances', (yargs) => {
         yargs.option('template', {
             describe: 'path to the template',
             type: 'string'
         });
+        yargs.option('contract', {
+            describe: 'path to a smart legal contract slc file',
+            type: 'string'
+        });
         yargs.option('warnings', {
             describe: 'print warnings',
             type: 'boolean',
@@ -169,9 +173,9 @@ require('yargs')
             const options = {
                 warnings: argv.warnings,
             };
-            return Commands.verify(argv.template, options)
+            return Commands.verify(argv.template, argv.contract, options)
                 .then((result) => {
-                    if(result) {Logger.info(`Author/developer's signature for ${argv.template} template is verified`);}
+                    if(result) {Logger.info('all signatures verified');}
                 })
                 .catch((err) => {
                     Logger.error(err.message);
@@ -671,7 +675,7 @@ require('yargs')
             };
             return Commands.sign(argv.contract, argv.keystore, argv.passphrase, argv.signatory, argv.output, options)
                 .then((result) => {
-                    if(result) {Logger.info('Contract has been successfully signed');}
+                    if(result) {Logger.info('contract has been successfully signed');}
                 })
                 .catch((err) => {
                     Logger.error(err.message);
diff --git a/packages/cicero-cli/lib/commands.js b/packages/cicero-cli/lib/commands.js
index 90d143300..002398c57 100644
--- a/packages/cicero-cli/lib/commands.js
+++ b/packages/cicero-cli/lib/commands.js
@@ -636,17 +636,6 @@ class Commands {
             });
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Set default params before we verify signatures of template author/developer
-     *
-     * @param {object} argv the inbound argument values object
-     * @returns {object} a modfied argument object
-     */
-    static validateVerifyArgs(argv) {
-        argv = Commands.validateCommonArgs(argv);
-        return argv;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Set default params before we create an archive using a template
      *
@@ -673,7 +662,7 @@ class Commands {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Create an archive using a template
+     * Sign a contract instance
      *
      * @param {string} slcPath - path to the slc archive
      * @param {string} keystore - path to the keystore
@@ -703,34 +692,38 @@ class Commands {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Set default params before we create an archive using a template
+     * Set default params before we verify signatures of template author/developer
+     *
      * @param {object} argv the inbound argument values object
      * @returns {object} a modfied argument object
      */
     static validateVerifyArgs(argv) {
         argv = Commands.validateCommonArgs(argv);
-
-        if(!argv.target){
-            Logger.info('Using ergo as the default target for the archive.');
-            argv.target = 'ergo';
-        }
-
         return argv;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Create an archive using a template
+     * Verify signatures on templates or contract instances
      *
+     * @param {string} templatePath - path to the template directory or archive
      * @param {string} contractPath - path to the template directory or archive
      * @param {Object} [options] - an optional set of options
      * @returns {object} Promise to the code creating an archive
      */
-    static async verify(contractPath, options) {
-        return Commands.loadInstance(null, contractPath, options)
-            .then((instance) => {
-                instance.verifySignatures();
-                Logger.info('All signatures verified successfully');
-            });
+    static async verify(templatePath, contractPath, options) {
+        if (templatePath) {
+            return Commands.loadTemplate(templatePath, options)
+                .then(async(template) => {
+                    const result = await template.verifyTemplateSignature();
+                    return result;
+                });
+        } else {
+            return Commands.loadInstance(null, contractPath, options)
+                .then((instance) => {
+                    instance.verifySignatures();
+                    Logger.info('All signatures verified successfully');
+                });
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -750,21 +743,6 @@ class Commands {
         return argv;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Verify the template developer/author's signatures
-     *
-     * @param {string} templatePath - path to the template directory or archive
-     * @param {Object} [options] - an optional set of options
-     * @returns {object} returns true if signature is valid else false
-     */
-    static verify(templatePath, options) {
-        return Commands.loadTemplate(templatePath, options)
-            .then(async(template) => {
-                const result = await template.verifyTemplateSignature();
-                return result;
-            });
-    }
-
     /**
      * Create an instance archive from a template
      *
diff --git a/packages/cicero-cli/test/cli.js b/packages/cicero-cli/test/cli.js
index dd649af6c..560bacc7b 100644
--- a/packages/cicero-cli/test/cli.js
+++ b/packages/cicero-cli/test/cli.js
@@ -1327,7 +1327,7 @@ describe('#validateSignArgs', () => {
             passphrase: 'password',
             signatory: 'partyA',
             _: ['sign']
-        })).should.throw('please define path of the keystore using --keystore');
+        })).should.throw('Please define path of the keystore using --keystore');
     });
     it('passphrase not defined', () => {
         process.chdir(path.resolve(__dirname, 'data/contractsigning/'));
@@ -1336,7 +1336,7 @@ describe('#validateSignArgs', () => {
             keystore: 'keystore.p12',
             signatory: 'partyA',
             _: ['sign']
-        })).should.throw('please define the passphrase of the keystore using --pasphrase');
+        })).should.throw('Please define the passphrase of the keystore using --pasphrase');
     });
     it('signatory not defined', () => {
         process.chdir(path.resolve(__dirname, 'data/contractsigning/'));
@@ -1345,7 +1345,7 @@ describe('#validateSignArgs', () => {
             keystore: 'keystore.p12',
             passphrase: 'password',
             _: ['sign']
-        })).should.throw('please define the signatory signing the contract using --signatory');
+        })).should.throw('Please define the signatory signing the contract using --signatory');
     });
     it('verbose flag specified', () => {
         process.chdir(path.resolve(__dirname, 'data/contractsigning/'));
@@ -1379,6 +1379,14 @@ describe('#sign', async () => {
         newInstance.contractSignatures.should.have.lengthOf(1);
         fs.unlinkSync(archiveName);
     });
+    it('should sign the contract for a party/individual without specifying output path', async () => {
+        const slcPath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'data/contractsigning/latedeliveryandpenalty@0.17.0-d0c1a14e8a7af52e0927a23b8b30af3b5a75bee1ab788a15736e603b88a6312c.slc');
+        const keystore = path.resolve(__dirname, 'data/contractsigning/keystore.p12');
+        const signatory = 'partyA';
+        const result = await Commands.sign(slcPath, keystore, 'password', signatory);
+        result.should.eql(true);
+        fs.unlinkSync('latedeliveryandpenalty@0.17.0-d0c1a14e8a7af52e0927a23b8b30af3b5a75bee1ab788a15736e603b88a6312c.slc');
+    });
 });
 
 describe('#validateVerifyArgs', () => {
@@ -1409,7 +1417,7 @@ describe('#validateVerifyArgs', () => {
 describe('#verify', async () => {
     it('should verify contract signatures', async () => {
         const slcPath = path.resolve(__dirname, 'data/contractsigning/latedeliveryandpenalty@0.17.0-d0c1a14e8a7af52e0927a23b8b30af3b5a75bee1ab788a15736e603b88a6312c.v1.slc');
-        return Commands.verify(slcPath).should.be.fulfilled;
+        return Commands.verify(null, slcPath).should.be.fulfilled;
     });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/cicero-core/src/instance.js b/packages/cicero-core/src/instance.js
index 605e37f79..697c68155 100644
--- a/packages/cicero-core/src/instance.js
+++ b/packages/cicero-core/src/instance.js
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ class Instance {
 
         this.data = null;
         this.concertoData = null;
+        this.authorSignature = null;
         this.contractSignatures = [];
         this.parties = [];
 
diff --git a/packages/cicero-core/src/instanceloader.js b/packages/cicero-core/src/instanceloader.js
index 35db06fc7..5466e5c78 100644
--- a/packages/cicero-core/src/instanceloader.js
+++ b/packages/cicero-core/src/instanceloader.js
@@ -155,13 +155,16 @@ class InstanceLoader extends FileLoader {
 
         instance.setData(data);
 
-        // grab the signatures
+        // grab the party signatures
         const signatureFiles = await InstanceLoader.loadZipFilesContents(zip, /signatures[/\\].*\.json$/, true, false);
         signatureFiles.forEach((signatureFile) => {
             let signature = JSON.parse(signatureFile.contents);
             instance.contractSignatures.push(signature);
         });
 
+        //grab the author/developer signature
+        this.authorSignature = await InstanceLoader.loadZipFileContents(zip, 'signature.json', true, false);
+
         //grab the parties
         const contractModel = Util.getContractModel(instance.logicManager, instance.instanceKind);
         const properties = contractModel.getProperties();
diff --git a/packages/cicero-core/src/instancesaver.js b/packages/cicero-core/src/instancesaver.js
index df11722f6..f8a62fd2c 100644
--- a/packages/cicero-core/src/instancesaver.js
+++ b/packages/cicero-core/src/instancesaver.js
@@ -59,7 +59,12 @@ class InstanceSaver {
             zip.file('text/grammar.tem.md', instance.getParserManager().getTemplate(), options);
         }
 
-        //save the signatures
+        // save the author/developer signature
+        const authorSignature = JSON.stringify(instance.authorSignature);
+
+        zip.file('signature.json', authorSignature, options);
+
+        //save the party signatures
         let signatures = instance.contractSignatures;
         zip.file('signatures/', null, Object.assign({}, options, {
             dir: true