Updated November 12, 2020:

To be considered an entire contract, an agreement in a contract needs to be fulfilled by both parties to its conclusion. An indivisible contract is another term for this kind of contract.

What is an Entire Contract?

An entire contract is a contract where the parties involved have to conclude their duties, and then they can ask other parties involved to finish their obligations. If a party does not do what is required of them in the contract, the contract may become nullified.

While verbal agreements and conversations can take place about a contract, if those issues are not in the written contract, the communication does not mean anything. Verbal agreements not written into a contract are valid in some contracts, but not in an entire contract

An entire contract is the ideal contract to use in dealing with entities such as insurance or construction. Entering an entire contract requires all parties to fulfill their duties in accordance with the rules of the contract. A party can't move forward without fulfilling their duties as called for in the contract. If you have not finished your part of the agreement, you cannot expect payment. If one party is not fulfilling its duties as called for in the contract, the other party can stop performing its duties.

Often when a contract is written, parties talk to each other and new agreements are made verbally. But you must remember that verbal agreements alone are not valid when it comes to entire contracts, and can't be part of the legal proceedings.

What is an Entire Contract Clause?

  • An entire contract clause is an insurance contract clause stating that all parts of the arrangement regarding the insurer and the insured are represented in the contract.
  • This kind of agreement is confined to what is in the contract. Entire contract clauses in insurance contracts include details such as conditions, endorsements, and benefits.
  • Entire contract clauses also can be important when dealing with lawsuits. If someone sues an insurance company regarding something not in the contract, that insurance company will most likely win the case, as long as there is an entire contract clause. In that case, the entire contract clause protects the insurance company.
  • It's important to note that entire contract clauses are not exclusive to any industry, they can be utilized in almost any kind of contract.
  • Entire contract clauses are typically utilized in entertainment, construction, and insurance. Most parties enjoy the peace of mind that comes with an entire contract clause because it prevents them from having to finish their duties if the other party is not performing its duties.

Entire Agreement Clause

An entire agreement clause is also known as a merger clause or an integration clause, and aims to define an agreement's guidelines. It declares that the arrangement both parties signed concludes the agreement and replaces any previous items not present in the current contract. Anything previously agreed upon must be added to the contract for it to be part of the final arrangement.

Purpose of Entire Agreement Clause

The purpose of an entire agreement clause is to erase any uncertainty moving forward. When negotiating contracts, phone calls, emails, and meetings may take place before lawyers work out the details of the arrangement. So when you have your lawyer include an entire agreement clause, it takes away any chance that either party might rely on an earlier representation when the contract is enforced. An entire agreement clause takes away any concerns about the contract terms.

Risks of an Entire Agreement Clause

  • One risk of an entire agreement clause is that items in a contract can still be changed after both parties have signed.
  • An entire agreement clause is contained by what is called a “variation” clause.
  • Without an entire agreement clause, parties can say that unofficial items not in the contract should be included in the contract.
  • If agreements made verbally or via email are not in the signed agreement, a party can work to get the items included in the contract when an entire agreement clause is involved.

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