Five tips to ensure your contracts are legally enforceable

Five tips to ensure your contracts are legally enforceable
Sometimes a handshake is enough, but it is safer to get contracts confirmed in writing. (Image: Getty)
Georgina Toomey
Contracts are the backbone of any business deal or transaction. A legally binding contract helps ensure that each party upholds their end of the bargain. If a party fails to fulfil their contractual obligations, you can initiate legal action to enforce the contract. However, to be enforceable, contracts must contain five key elements: a clear offer, acceptance, valid consideration, intent to form legal relations and certainty in terms. In New Zealand, contracts do not have to be in writing. Provided the key elements of a contract...

More Law & Regulation

Westpac cops $3.64m penalty for lender responsibility breaches
Finance

Westpac cops $3.64m penalty for lender responsibility breaches

Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act in focus again.

Andy Macdonald 28 Nov 2025
Air NZ’s Ravishankar grows up in public
Opinion

Pattrick Smellie: Air NZ’s Ravishankar grows up in public

The national airline’s new CEO faces plenty of challenges, some self-inflicted.

Pattrick Smellie 28 Nov 2025
2025’s notable employment law cases
Opinion

Rachael Judge: 2025’s notable employment law cases

As we look forward to 2026, we will see more bizarre workplace behaviour cases.

Rachael Judge 28 Nov 2025
Scam protection at heart of Code of Banking Practice update
Finance

Scam protection at heart of Code of Banking Practice update

Compensation is on the cards if banks fail all five scam-protection commitments.

Andy Macdonald 28 Nov 2025