Contract Law - Intention to Create Legal Relations

Contract Law: Intention to Create Legal Relations
Black Letter Law Series
Not every promise creates a legally binding contract. The doctrine of intention to create legal relations distinguishes enforceable agreements from social, domestic and informal arrangements, making it an essential topic in every contract law course and a frequent feature of LLB examinations.
This concise visual guide explains how English courts determine whether parties intended to enter into legally binding obligations through clear legal principles, leading authorities, practical flowcharts and examiner-focused answer frameworks.
Inside this guide
The purpose of intention in contract formation
The objective test applied by the courts
Domestic and social agreements
Commercial agreements
Rebuttable presumptions
Agreements between spouses and family members
"Subject to Contract" negotiations
Letters of Comfort
Examiner-style problem question structures
Essay frameworks
Rapid revision summaries
Visual decision trees and flowcharts
Featuring concise explanations of leading authorities including Balfour v Balfour, Merritt v Merritt, Jones v Padavatton, Esso Petroleum, Rose & Frank, Simpkins v Pays, Kleinwort Benson, McCutcheon v David MacBrayne, and Masters v Cameron, this guide provides the doctrinal understanding and analytical framework required to answer intention questions confidently in examinations.
Ideal for:
UK LLB students
GDL / PGDL students
SQE candidates
Law revision and examination preparation
Part of the Black Letter Law Series, a collection of concise, visual, exam-focused Short Reads designed to simplify complex legal principles through flowcharts, key cases and examiner-ready answer structures.