THE PAROL EVIDENCE

The Parol Evidence



The Parol Evidence Rule

Introduction

Courts normally invoke the parol evidence rule when contracting parties have put their agreement on paper, but later a dispute arises and one party attempts to use evidence of other agreements to bolster her interpretation of the contract's terms. The parol evidence rule assists a court dealing with such disputes by helping to determine the scope of what is to be interpreted. After the parol evidence rule establishes the terms of the agreement, the court will then go on to divine the meaning of those terms. On the interpretation side, courts allow ...