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.
Offer and acceptance: An offer is a statement or action that indicates a willingness to agree. Acceptance is an agreement to the terms of an offer by the other party. An offer must be communicated to the person who is meant to accept it and may be made by words or conduct.
Intent to be Bound and Mutual Assent Under Illinois law, to form a contract there must be an objective manifestation of a meeting of the minds or mutual assent as to the terms of the contract (Anand v.
Offer and acceptance: An offer is a statement or action that indicates a willingness to agree. Acceptance is an agreement to the terms of an offer by the other party. An offer must be communicated to the person who is meant to accept it and may be made by words or conduct.
Treitel defines an offer as "an expression of willingness to contract on certain terms, made with the intention that it shall become binding as soon as it is accepted by the person to whom it is addressed", the "offeree".
Stripped to its essentials, the doctrine of 'offer and acceptance' provides that to form a valid contract an 'offerer' must make an offer to do or not do something (normally in exchange for something else being done or not done) to an 'offeree', and the offeree must accept (by agreeing to) that offer.
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.
The offer must be clear and definite, and it must be communicated to the other party. The offeree must then accept the contract terms of the offer, which can be done explicitly or implicitly. If the offeree accepts the offer, a binding contract exists, and that contract will be enforced by common law.
Requirements for a valid Offer: The offer must be FIRM. Must be made with animo contrahendi – the intention that its acceptance will. call into being a binding contract. The offer must be complete. All the material terms should be set out in the offer. The offer must be clear and certain.