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Simple English definitions for legal terms

Pre-existing duty doctrine

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A quick definition of Pre-existing duty doctrine:

The pre-existing duty doctrine is a rule in contract law that says if someone is already obligated to do something under a contract, they can't get extra credit for doing it. This means that if someone tries to change the terms of the contract to add something they were already supposed to do, it won't count as a new agreement.

A more thorough explanation:

The pre-existing duty doctrine is a legal principle that applies to contracts. It states that if a party to a contract is already obligated to perform a certain duty, then any modification to the contract that does not provide additional consideration is not valid.

For example, imagine that a construction company agrees to build a house for a homeowner for $100,000. Halfway through the project, the homeowner decides that they want some additional features added to the house, such as a swimming pool. The construction company agrees to make the changes, but only if the homeowner agrees to pay an additional $50,000. This modification to the contract is valid because the homeowner is providing additional consideration (the extra money) in exchange for the additional work.

However, if the construction company simply agreed to make the changes without any additional compensation, this modification would not be valid under the pre-existing duty doctrine. This is because the construction company was already obligated to complete the original contract, and the homeowner is not providing any additional consideration for the extra work.

Another example of the pre-existing duty doctrine can be seen in employment contracts. If an employee is already obligated to perform certain duties as part of their job, the employer cannot modify the contract to require additional duties without providing additional compensation.

pre-dup | pre-filing period

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Dkk
18:49
Nah lol, so many vowels. It is like learning hawaiian.
wait so ppl tell you that you have the accent but you don't speak the language? that's so funny
2big2fail
18:52
Pepp when
i didn't learn english until i was like 11, personally i don't think i have the accent cause i've been here my whole life but sometimes ppl tell me i do which is 😭 idk why
18:53
dk have you ever seen a game of pesapallo
Dkk
18:53
Yeah it is weird @jackfrost. I think it comes from my mother cus she has a slight accent. She never spoke the language either though.
Dkk
18:54
@info-man: nah what is that
Dkk
18:54
Oh Finnish Baseball, nah not at all. I have only seen their pole vaulting and big swing thing.
oh yeah maybe that makes sense
guys i ate my cheese and sausage with green onions and im still hungry
talk me down from ordering takeout
sushi looking real good rn
Dkk
18:57
Go out and eat bar snacks and talk to someone. You are already almost 1/6th of the way done with your law school experience! @knowledgeable
Dkk
18:57
Nah just kidding. About 1/9th given summer shit.
2big2fail
18:58
Pemperdine
2big2fail
18:58
Peggerdine
Dkk
18:59
Penerdine
concorde
19:01
pekkerdine
pecorino
JumpySubsequentDolphin
19:02
@KnowledgeableRitzyWasp: doooo it
Dkk
19:02
Hold on, did someone say something earlier that I missed and then @banycat deleted her response after.
Dkk
19:03
A tab on my computer just refreshed and I thought I saw something.
babycat
19:03
just practicing good cyber security :)
Dkk
19:04
Hmmmmm
Dkk
19:04
What did you do @babycat
babycat
19:08
luv u dk you care so much about me
Dkk
19:09
>:( no I do not. I care about myself and being responsive in a timely manner.
Dkk
19:09
I only care a little.
babycat
19:10
hehehe
babycat
19:10
You love me
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