Quick Guide to Trifling Contract

A trifling contract would not be considered a contract under contract law. A trifling contract is a contract which would have no great significance applied to it, and therefore, would not be important under any form of law. For example, a trifling contract might be an oral agreement between a mother and her son for the son to clean up his room every Friday in exchange for the mother giving him a ride to his favorite movie theater every Saturday.

This “oral agreement” would not be considered a contract likely because the son in question would also lack the legal authority to enter into a contract. In addition, the very content of the contract would ensure its dismissal from any kind of legal significance as a result of its trifling nature.

A contract which deals with an exchange of goods or money is very rarely trifling, as theoretically even purchases which are made for mere cents might be considered to be forms of a contract which are legally binding. However, in rare circumstances it might be that incredibly small sums of money being exchanged for incredibly unimportant goods would be considered trifling contracts.

For example, paying twenty five cents for a piece of gum might be considered a trifling oral agreement even though, theoretically, it might still be in the same vein of an oral agreement as buying a four hundred dollar television from an electronics store. Obviously, the latter example would not be considered trifling.

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