Does This Constitute A Contract

[bella90]

Hello, i'm considering suing my father for breach of contract, but can anyone tell me if the below constitutes one lol

He started of saying how rubbish he has been, and went on to say the following:

No point me making excuses. So, what am I going to do about this ? as follows:

I am looking to treat each of you equally.

I am looking to pay each of you a monthly allowance of £500, starting asap.

I am looking to give each of you £200,000 for house purchase

I am looking to pay each of you £8,000 for car purchase

I am looking to have a meeting with the 3 of us to bury hatchets, re-start our lives and to discuss arrangements for putting the above measures into effect. My place is an ideal venue. You are both welcome to stay overnight and longer; bring trainers as we can play ball on the pitch too.

Bella, will you please act as intermediary by copying this message to Clare and sorting out a date with her.

Above all I wish to have a proper father / daughter relationship with each of you, including regular contact.

I love you Bella, as much as I love Clare.

Dad
xx

[Neveracrossword]

It doesn't look like an actual contract. Your dad has outlined his intentions, that's all.

[Jackdaw33]

No.
Your father has made a vague offer to treat, not a firm offer.
There is no consideration coming from your side.

[jno]

no. A contract isn't one-sided: at the very least you have to agree to it before it becomes one, and you have to provide some sort of quid pro quo - he does something, you do something.

What sort of breach are you thinking of?

[bella90]

Oh :-( i thought it might be as the consideration is him making up for all the trauma he has caused my sister and i throughout our lives. I did agree to it, but it has since turned out to be another one of his games. I am considering suing him for emotional distress, but just putting together all the evidence is having a detrimental effect on my well being and i thought breach of contract would be easier.

[ToraToraTora]

what is the "breach"? looks like he's just offering.

[ToraToraTora]

so he offered the above and has now withdrawn the offer? An offer is not a contract.

[Jackdaw33]

You haven't a cat's chance in Hell in succeeding in any legal action here. It looks as though he has changed his mind, probably in response to your reaction.

[THECORBYLOON]

'gratuities are not enforceable in law. For example, this is a gratuity:

A person promises to pay you £10.

You do not offer to do anything in response.

It's a gratuitous promise.  One person promises to do something but the other (you) does not promise anything. The promise to pay the £10 is not enforceable.

In legal language, "the offer to pay the £10 is not supported by consideration" or consider does not move from the promisee.

As there is no consideration provided by one party, there is no contract.'

https://hallellis.co.uk/contractual-consideration/

[Mamyalynne]

I cannot add any legal advice - however if he has been a game player with you and your sister's emotions all your lives I'd strongly advise taking anything he says with a pound of salt.

[bella90]

yes, he withdrew the offer.

This is why i am asking if it was a contract, but apparently its not so i wont be able to sue for breach of it

[Ellipsis]

"I am looking to" is not a commitment. He was probably "looking to" do those things if he got something back in return. At that point, you have had a contract.

[Ellipsis]

You may* have had a contract ...

[bella90]

@ jack daw, here's an article you may find useful
https://www.healthline.com/health/projection-psychology

[AuntPG]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LOL!

[bobbinwales]

Is this a real life situation or law course question. It reads like a law course question with people having initials B, C, D.
I don't see where the bit about bringing trainers and playing a ball game fits in?

[Peter Pedant]

nope

dont sue in anything

this is a family thing and civil law is not suitable under any circumstances

[andy-hughes]

I would doubt you would win a court case based on what you have advised here.

On the subject of 'pain and distress' that is notoriously hard to quantify, and to prove in court.

If your relationship with your father is at a low enough level that you are considering legal action against him, I would suggest you save any further emotional distress, and walk away.

[jno]

if your father offered you £200,000 to buy a house, and you bought it only to find he refused to give you the money, you might have a case ...More likely fraud or something than breach of contract, though.

[Peter Pedant]

pain and doo dah is a poor money earner in London courts,

offering £200k and then going back, is an interesting one. The £200k if given wd be in trust - - so far not constituted
and Making statements that cause loss, IF he has a duty of care is covered under Hedly Burne and Heller 1964

Your case is a dog nonetheless

[bella90]

@ Peter Pedant, thank you for providing that law suit, i may use that in my complaint. Thank you everyone for your answers, i think i will have to go down the emotional distress route as he has done most of his abuse via email, i just thought breach of contract would be easier and less upsetting.