Legal Definitions - manifest error

A manifest error refers to an obvious and undeniable mistake that is apparent on the face of a document, record, or calculation, without requiring extensive investigation or complex interpretation to identify. It is a clear, self-evident blunder that can be recognized immediately by any reasonable person reviewing the information.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Contractual Discrepancy: Imagine a written agreement for the sale of a car where the purchase price is stated numerically as "$25,000" but then written out in words as "two thousand five hundred dollars." This clear contradiction between the numerical and written amounts constitutes a manifest error. A court or arbitrator would likely correct the obvious mistake without needing to delve into complex arguments about the parties' intent, as the discrepancy is immediately apparent.

• Court Order Typo: Consider a court order that correctly identifies the plaintiff and defendant, but then mistakenly lists the case number as "Case No. 2023-001" when all other official court records for that specific case consistently show it as "Case No. 2023-100." This is a manifest error because the incorrect case number is an obvious typographical mistake that can be easily verified and corrected by comparing it to the official court file, without altering the substance of the order.

• Financial Calculation Mistake: Suppose a company's quarterly financial report correctly lists individual expenses, but then totals them incorrectly due to a simple addition error. For instance, if three expenses are $100, $200, and $300, but the report states the total as $10,000. This is a manifest error because the mathematical miscalculation is immediately obvious upon reviewing the figures and performing a basic sum, indicating a clear mistake rather than a difference in accounting principles or interpretation.