What is meant by the contra proferentem rule?

What is meant by the contra proferentem rule?

Related Content. The contra proferentem rule states, broadly, that where there is doubt about the meaning of the contract, the words will be construed against the person who put them forward.

What is the contra proferentem rule and how does this apply to exclusion clauses?

The contra proferentem principle essentially states that if there is any doubt about the meaning or scope of an exclusion clause, the ambiguity should be resolved against the party seeking to rely on the exclusion clause on the basis that parties are not lightly to be taken to have intended to cut down the remedies the …

How do you use contra proferentem in a sentence?

‘ ‘Faced with two reasonable contract interpretations, the Court then looked to the rule of contra proferentem for guidance on who should bear the risk of these ambiguities. ‘ ‘But when plan language is ambiguous, this well-established doctrine of contra proferentem does apply, and for good reason.

Can you contract out of the contra proferentem rule?

Contracting out of the contra proferentem rule “In the interpretation of this contract or any part of it, no rule of construction shall apply to the disadvantage of any party on the basis that that party: Prepared this contract or any part of it; or. Seeks to rely on this contract or any part of it.”

Can you waive contra proferentem?

The parties waive the application of any rule of Law which otherwise would be applicable in connection with the construction of this Agreement that ambiguous or conflicting terms or provisions should be construed against the party who (or whose legal counsel) prepared the executed agreement or any earlier draft of the …

Why is ambiguity interpreted against the drafter?

Contract Ambiguities Construed Against Drafter The Latin term contra proferentem is a contract principle that provides that an ambiguous or uncertain term in a contract will be construed against the party that caused the uncertainty to exist.

How do you solve ambiguity in a contract?

But usually, an ambiguous contract means that a specific term, word, phrase, or definition is vague or unclear. If a contract is ambiguous, it can sometimes be resolved by the parties through further discussions. If not, it may be necessary to have the document reviewed in court to have the issues resolved.

What should a judge do if a contract contains ambiguity?

What are the four types of ambiguity?

Types of ambiguity

  • Lexical ambiguity. Words have multiple meanings.
  • Syntactic ambiguity. A sentence has multiple parse trees.
  • Semantic ambiguity.
  • Anaphoric ambiguity.
  • Non-literal speech.
  • Ellipsis.
  • Example 2.
  • Syntactic constraints.

What is structural ambiguity examples?

Here is a more obvious example of structural ambiguity: She observed the man with the binoculars. Was the woman looking at the man through binoculars, or was the man she was observing carrying the binoculars? It’s unclear because of the placement of the prepositional phrase with the binoculars.

Who is responsible for an ambiguous contract?

There is a general rule that a court will construe ambiguous contract terms against the drafter of the agreement. But this rule only applies where one contracting party is in a superior bargaining position, usually either as a result of greater experience or the assistance of counsel.

What are the requirements for contra proferentem to apply?

Contra proferentem usually requires intermediation and ruling by a court in order for a contract’s interpretation to be changed. Any contract can be debated for contra proferentem by a complaint filed in court.

How do you avoid ambiguity in a contract?

Follow these five tips to minimize ambiguities:

  1. Keep it simple. Keep your writing simple, clear and concise.
  2. If it’s part of the agreement, include it in the contract.
  3. Define key terms.
  4. Include an order-of-precedence clause.
  5. Make proper use of standard forms.
  • October 6, 2022