What legal doctrine requires certain contracts to be in writing?

The Statute of Frauds is the legal doctrine requiring certain contracts to be evidenced by a written, signed document. Its purpose is to reduce fraudulent claims and unreliable testimony about important oral agreements.

The name comes from England’s Statute of Frauds, enacted by Parliament in 1677 during the reign of Charles II. The original law addressed several categories of agreements, including interests in land, long-term arrangements, guarantees, and certain promises connected with marriage. American jurisdictions later developed their own versions rather than applying one single nationwide statute.

A traditional memory aid is “MY LEGS”: marriage, contracts that cannot be performed within one year, land, executor promises, goods, and surety agreements. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, a sale of goods priced at $500 or more commonly requires a writing, although exceptions apply, including accepted goods, specially manufactured goods, and admissions in court.

The doctrine does not necessarily make an unwritten agreement void. Usually, it makes the agreement unenforceable unless an exception or sufficient written evidence applies. That distinction is why the rule is often confused with the parol evidence rule, which concerns what outside evidence may be used to interpret a written contract.