What is a legal contract?

A legal contract is an agreement that the law will enforce. In order for the law to enforce the agreement, the contract must have certain characteristics:

• The contract is made between people that the law considers able to make valid contracts, for example, the contract cannot be with someone who is under age.
• There must be a valid and clear offer to make a contract and an acceptance of the offer.
• The contract must be for legal consideration, to do or not do something, for example, in a rental agreement the consideration will be the rent paid and the premises provided.

If an agreement does not have all the above characteristics, it is not a valid contract and cannot be enforced by law.

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WARNING: The contents of these FAQs are intended as general legal information only.
If you have a personal problem, please consult a lawyer.