Under Texas law, a binding contract typically consists of six essential elements: Offer and acceptance. A legal purpose for the contract. Mutual assent. Sufficiently defined terms. “Consideration” Competent, authorized parties to the contract.
Texas – While handwritten agreements are valid, some transactions require additional documentation for enforceability.
The basic elements required for the agreement to be a legally enforceable contract are: mutual assent , expressed by a valid offer and acceptance ; adequate consideration ; capacity ; and legality .
Mutual Assent: A "Meeting of the Minds" of Offer & Acceptance. A legally recognized offer and an acceptance create a "meeting of the minds", or mutual assent, between the parties. The law requires the parties to a contract to demonstrate mutual assent to the contracts' terms.
In order that the acceptance can be treated as valid it is necessary that the same must be communicated to the offeror either by the offeree or by some duly authorised person on his behalf. If the communication is made by an unauthorised person, it does not result in a contract.
And even though contracts are infinitely varied in length, terms, and complexity, all contracts must contain these six essential elements. Offer. Acceptance. Awareness. Consideration. Capacity. Legality.
A contract will only be legally binding upon the contracting parties if the following requirements are complied with: consensus, contractual capacity, certainty, possibility, legality and formalities. 39 The above requirements will be discussed next.