- This page deals with consideration under American law, an English focused article is available here. A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law Offer and acceptance analysis is a traditional approach in Contract law used to determine whether an agreement exists between two parties The mailbox rule (called the " postal rule " or "postal acceptance rule" in the UK Australia and New Zealand or "deposited acceptance rule" is In the law of Contracts the mirror image rule states that an offer must be accepted exactly without modifications Invitation to treat (or "bargain" in the US is a Contract law term In the United States, a firm offer allows merchants to make offers to buy or sell irrevocable for up to three months provided that the offer be put down in writing or otherwise Consideration is a central concept in the Common law of Contracts and Contract theory: it is value paid for a promise Discussion As an aspect of the Social contract between a state and its Citizens the state adopts a role of protector to the weaker and more vulnerable members Duress in the context of contract law is a Common law defense and if one is successful in proving that the contract is vitiated by duress the contract may be rescinded since Undue influence (as a term in Jurisprudence) is an equitable doctrine that involves one person taking advantage of a position of power over another person In Contract law, an illusory promise is one that courts will not enforce The statute of frauds refers to the requirement that certain kinds of Contracts be made in writing and signed Non est factum Latin for "it is not deed" is a doctrine in Contract law that allows a signing party to escape performance of the agreement The parol evidence rule is the legal application of a rule of evidence in Contract cases that prevents a party to a written contract from contradicting (or sometimes adding A standard form contract (sometimes referred to as an adhesion contract or boilerplate contract is a Contract between two parties that does not allow for In the Contract Law, an integration clause, or merger clause (sometimes particularly in the United Kingdom, referred to as an entire Contra proferentem is a rule of Contractual interpretation which provides that an ambiguous term will be construed against the party that imposed its inclusion in the In Contract law a mistake is an erroneous belief at contracting that certain facts are true Misrepresentation is a Contract law concept It means a false statement of fact made by one party to another party which has the effect of inducing that party into the contract In the Law of Contracts frustration of purpose is a defense to enforcement of the contract In Contract law, impossibility is an excuse for the nonperformance of duties under a contract based on a change in circumstances (or the discovery of preexisting circumstances The doctrine of impracticability in the Common law of Contracts excuses performance of a duty where that duty has become unfeasibly difficult or expensive for the An illegal agreement, under the Common law of Contract, is one that the Courts will not enforce because the purpose of the agreement is to achieve an illegal Unclean hands, sometimes clean hands doctrine or dirty hands doctrine is an equitable defense in which the Defendant argues that the Plaintiff Unconscionability (also known as Unconscientious dealings) is a term used in Contract law to describe a defense against the enforcement of a Contract In contract law accord and satisfaction is the purchase of the release from a debt obligation The doctrine of privity in Contract law provides that a Contract cannot confer rights or impose obligations arising under it on any person or agent except the parties An assignment (Latin cessio) is a term used with similar meanings in the Law of Contracts and in the law of Real estate. Delegation (Latin intercessio) is a term used in the Law of Contracts to describe the act of giving another person the responsibility of carrying out This article is on the legal term For the keyboard company see Novation Digital Music Systems; for the former modem manufacturer see Novation CAT. A third party beneficiary, in the Law of Contracts, is a person who may have the right to sue on a contract despite not having originally been a party Breach of contract is a Legal concept in which a Binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance Anticipatory repudiation (or anticipatory breach) is a term in the Law of Contracts that describes a declaration by one party (the promising party to a Cover is a term used in the Law of Contracts to describe a remedy available to a Merchant buyer who has received an Anticipatory repudiation An exclusion clause is a term in a Contract that seeks to restrict the rights of the parties to the Contract. Efficient breach refers to an intentional Breach of contract and payment of damages by a party who would incur greater economic loss by performing under the contract A fundamental breach of a Contract, sometimes known as a repudiatory breach, is a breach so fundamental that it permits the distressed party to terminate In the law of Remedy, an order of specific performance is an order of the court which requires a party to perform a specific act usually what is stated in a contract Liquidated damages (also referred to as liquidated and ascertained damages are damages whose amount the parties designate during the formation of a contract for the injured Penal damages are best seen as quantitatively excessive Liquidated damages and are invalid under the Common law. In contract law rescission (to rescind or set aside a contract has been defined as the unmaking of a contract between the parties Estoppel is a legal doctrine recognized both at Common law and in equity in various forms Quantum meruit is a Latin phrase meaning "as much as he has deserved" Conflict of laws (or private international law) is that branch of International law and intranational interstate law that regulates all Lawsuits involving Commercial law (sometimes known as business law) is the body of Law which governs Business and commercial transactions Tort law is the name given to a body of law that creates and provides remedies for civil wrongs that do not arise out of Contractual duties Property law is the area of Law that governs the various forms of Ownership in Real property (land as distinct from personal or movable possessions In Common law, a will or testament is a document by which a person (the Testator) regulates the rights of others over his or her Property The law of trusts and estates is generally considered the body of Law which governs the management of personal affairs and the Disposition of Property of The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different Jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential The Law of evidence governs the use of Testimony (eg oral or written statements such as an Affidavit) and exhibits (e Consideration is one of the three main building blocks of a Contract in English contract law.
Consideration is something that is done or promised in return for a contractual promise. For example, in a promise between A and B for the sale of A's car to B, B's payment of the price of the car (or promise to do so) is the consideration for A's promise. Consideration is a central concept in the common law of contracts. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law Under classical contract theory, consideration is required for a contract to be enforceable. In Economics, contract theory studies how economic actors can and do construct contractual arrangements generally in the presence of Asymmetric information. Service contracts and, in the United States, other contracts not governed by the Uniform Commercial Code, generally require consideration for a contract modification to be binding on the parties, because of the preexisting duty rule. The Uniform Commercial Code ( UCC or the Code is one of a number of uniform acts that have been promulgated in conjunction with efforts to harmonize the law of The pre-existing duty rule is a legal concept relating to when the performance of a legal duty is classified as Consideration. Consideration is what must be given up by each party when making an agreement; this may be by means of doing or not doing an act or just promising to do or not do an act. Consideration can be defined as being a benefit to one party or detriment to the other.
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Elements of consideration
In order to meet consideration's requirements, a contract must fulfill three elements. First, there must be a bargain regarding terms of an exchange. Second, there must be a mutual exchange. In other words, both parties must get something out of the contract. Third, the exchange must be something of value.
An example of this is the renting of an apartment. The landlord and tenant come together to discuss the terms of the exchange (most of the time, the leasing is outlined in a contract). See also Leasing, Renting A lease is a Legal document, but can be an oral arrangement which confers a right on one person (called A contract is an exchange of promises between two or more parties to do or refrain from doing an act which is enforceable in a court of law Thus, they have fulfilled the first requirement of consideration. To meet the second element, there must be a mutual exchange. In this case, the landlord provides housing, while the tenant provides rent payment. Third, the bargain terms must be of value. The apartment is worth what the tenant hands over each month. Therefore, this contract has met its consideration requirement, because it fits all elements of consideration.
Lack of Consideration
- Past consideration is not valid. Something that is already done is done, and it does not change the legal position of the promisor. Any goods or services to be exchanged must be exchanged at or after the time of contract formation.
- Preexisting duty does not count as consideration. The pre-existing duty rule is a legal concept relating to when the performance of a legal duty is classified as Consideration.
- An illusory promise, or one which the promisor actually has no obligation to keep, does not count as consideration. In Contract law, an illusory promise is one that courts will not enforce The promise must be real and unconditional. This doctrine rarely invalidates contracts; it is a fundamental doctrine in contract law that courts should try to enforce contracts whenever possible. Accordingly, courts will often read implied-in-fact or implied-in-law terms into the contract, placing duties on the promisor. For instance, if a promisor promises to give away a third of his earnings for the year and earns nothing, he has no actual obligation to do anything. . .
Exceptions to the Consideration Requirement
Modern contract theory has also permitted remedies on alternate theories such as promissory estoppel. Estoppel is a legal doctrine recognized both at Common law and in equity in various forms Also, charitable pledges are enforceable without consideration as are contracts under seal.
Theories of Consideration
There are two common theories that attempt to explain consideration. The first is the "benefit-detriment theory", in which a contract must be either to the benefit of the promisor or to the detriment of the promisee to constitute consideration. The second is the "bargain theory", in which the parties subjectively view the contract to be the product of an exchange or bargain. The bargain theory has largely replaced the benefit-detriment theory in modern contract theory, but judges often cite both and unknowingly confuse the two models in their decisions. These theories usually overlap; in standard contracts, such as a contract to buy a car, there will be both an objective benefit and detriment (the buyer experiences a benefit by acquiring the car; the seller experienced a detriment by losing a car) and the subjective experience of entering into a bargain. However, there are certain contracts which satisfy one but not the other. For instance, a deal in which the promisee feels subjectively relieved, but hasn't actually gained any legal rights, might satisfy the bargain theory but not the benefit-detriment theory. Alternately, a deal in which an actor takes detrimental actions possibly in reaction to an offer, without having viewed the deal as a bargain, wouldn't be viewed as a contract under the law.
The main purpose of the shift from benefit-detriment to bargain theory is to avoid inquiries into whether consideration is adequate. For example, if a person promised you their car for $1. 00 because they needed to get rid of it, then the $1. 00 might seem adequate. However, if it were your birthday and your friend wrote down "I give you my car in consideration of one dollar," this same consideration would not seem adequate. Thus whether $1. 00 is consideration does not depend on the benefit received but whether the $1. 00 had actually been bargained for.
In some jurisdictions, contracts calling for such nominal or "peppercorn" consideration will be upheld unless a particular contract is deemed unconscionable. In legal terminology a peppercorn is a very small payment used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal Contract. Unconscionability (also known as Unconscientious dealings) is a term used in Contract law to describe a defense against the enforcement of a Contract However, in other jurisdictions, the court will reject "consideration" that had not been truly bargained for. Occasionally the courts in these jurisdictions may refer to "adequate" or "valuable" consideration, but in reality the court is not examining the adequacy of consideration, but whether it had been bargained for. The traditional notion that courts won't look into the adequacy of consideration, an ancient notion in the English common law, doesn't square with the benefit-detriment theory (in which courts are implicitly analyzing if the parties are receiving a sufficient benefit) but does square with the bargain theory (in which only the subjective intentions of the parties are considered).
There are three main purposes cited for the consideration requirement. The first is the cautionary requirement - parties are more likely to look before they leap when making a bargain than when making an off-the-cuff promise of a gift. The second is the evidentiary requirement - parties are more likely to commemorate, or at least remember, a promise made due to a bargaining process. The third is the channeling requirement - parties are more likely to coherently stipulate their specific desires when they are forced to bargain for them. Each of these rationales ensure that contracts are made by serious parties and are not made in error.
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