Derecho II – Inglés – Contracts

What is a contract?
A contract is an agreement made between two or more parties that is legally enforceable. Contracts can
be written or verbal and they are usually governed and enforced by the laws of the state where the
agreement was made.
A contract arises when one party makes an offer and the other party communicates an intention to accept
it. No one can be held to a promise involuntarily made. When consent is given by error, under physical or
moral duress, or as a result of fraudulent practices, the contract may be declared null and void at the
request of the aggrieved party. It is unlawful for businesses to force or coerce you into entering a contract.
There are different ways to form a contract. You could be entering a contract by: signing a document,
selecting a product in a shop and paying for it at the check-out counter, clicking on an ‘I agree’ button on a
web page.
Contracts have terms and conditions which set out the rights and responsibilities of each party to the
contract; if one of the parties fails or refuses to fulfil its promise (e.g., to pay the agreed price, to provide
the rented space or to pay the employee's salary) without a valid reason recognized by law, the party
suffering the consequence of this breach of promise may call upon the courts either to force the defaulting
party to carry out its promise (specific performance) or to demand compensation in the form of damages.