The doctrine of offer and acceptance has proved to be a viable and flexible tool to assess contract formation. This doctrine forms the basis of the rules on contract formation in most legal systems 1. Schlesinger (ed.), Formation of Contracts: A Study of the Common Core of Legal Systems (1968) 1, at 74; F.
An acceptance is “a manifestation of assent to the terms of the offer made by the offeree in the manner invited or required by the offer.” In determining if an offeree accepted an offer and created a contract, a court will look for evidence of three factors: (1) the offeree intended to enter the contract, (2) the ...
In Short. A valid offer must be clear, communicated and made with the intention of creating legal relations. Acceptance must be unconditional, timely and communicated. Duress, capacity and mutual conduct can affect contract validity. Silence may count as acceptance in specific situations.
An acceptance is a final and unqualified expression of assent to the terms of an offer. Again, there must be an objective manifestation, by the recipient of the offer, of an intention to be bound by its terms. An offer must be accepted in ance with its precise terms if it is to form an agreement.
Felthouse v Bindley 1862 EWHC CP J35 - Silence cannot amount to acceptance. However, silence can qualify as acceptance if it is accompanied by conduct. This is a form of implied acceptance, which is gathered by examining the whole course of conduct of the parties.
Clients will often presume that verbal agreements are not binding. However, as a general rule, the law considers that verbal agreements are legally binding.
1) An offer must be clear enough to identify the nature of the goods or services being offered. 2) The offeree has to accept the offer within a reasonable period. 3) The offeree must not have agreed to any other agreements that would conflict with this agreement.
An acceptance is a final and unqualified expression of assent to the terms of an offer. Again, there must be an objective manifestation, by the recipient of the offer, of an intention to be bound by its terms. An offer must be accepted in ance with its precise terms if it is to form an agreement.