Ab initio

4 days ago - An insurer facing a claim from an insured who had deceived the insurer on a material fact would claim that the insurance contract was void ab initio; it was null and void from the beginning and that since there was no legally enforceable contract, the insurer ought not to have to pay.

February 9, 2025 - For example, in many jurisdictions where a person signs a contract under duress, that contract is treated as being void ab initio. The frequent combination "null and void" is a legal doublet. The term is frequently used in contradistinction to the term "voidable" and "unenforceable". Black's Law Dictionary defines 'void' as "[n]ull; ineffectual; nugatory; having no legal force or binding effect...." In the case of a contract, this means there is no legal obligation, therefore there can be no breach of contract since the contract is null, but there may be an implied contract which requires the recipient of goods or services provided to pay their reasonable value.

July 7, 2025 - Void ab initio means “null from the beginning, as from the first moment when a contract is entered into,” whereas “voidable” means “valid until annulled; especially, (of a contract) capable of being affirmed or rejected at the option ...

A void ab initio agreement is Latin for "void from the beginning." This means that legally, a contract was void as soon as it was created. The parties of the contract are not legally related based on what was written in the agreement because ...

February 28, 2025 - In Henry Ah Hoc & Another vs. The State and Another, it was held that “Void means prospectively void and void ab initio means void from its very inception, or in other words, retrospectively void, the word void as used in Article 254(1) of the Constitution.

January 2, 2021 - How do you define the legal phrase void ab initio? To say that a legal document is void is to say that it is null. Therefore, a null document does not have any legal value, cannot bind a person or remain the basis of legal obligations.

March 17, 2023 - Void means without legal effect. Ab initio is a Latin term meaning “from the beginning”. Void ab initio, therefore, means an action that never had legal

July 10, 2025 - The 'Void Ab Initio' clause establishes ... In practice, this means that if certain conditions are met—such as misrepresentation, illegality, or lack of capacity—the agreement is treated as null and ......

June 5, 2025 - ... The Latin phrase void ab initio translates directly to “void from the beginning.” In legal terms, it means that the document, act, or agreement in question was never valid, even from the moment it was created or executed.

July 20, 2022 - To put it in simpler terms, if ... that contract is considered invalid from the time it was written and/or signed (i.e., from the start of the contract) rather than from when the court declared it to be null or void...

December 8, 2023 - For example, if a contract is found ... a court may declare it void ab initio. Meaning that the contract is null and void from the beginning, and the parties are released from their obligations as if the contract never existed....

Answer (1 of 5): Going in reverse, void ab initio means “void/invalid from the outset,” and refers to an agreement that is has no legal effect from its inception. Examples would include contracts to accomplish illegal goals, such as murder ...

If a marriage is void "ab initio", then it is automatically null, although a declaration of nullity is required to establish this.

Differences: Voidable contracts can be corrected, whereas void ab initio contracts cannot be remedied. Usage in Court: Courts may declare rulings effective ab initio, invalidating documents retroactively.

Ab initio is a Latin term that means "from the beginning” or “from inception.” Ab initio is used to indicate that some fact existed from the start of a relevant time period.

Government contractors must understand that there are certain times when a government contract is void ab initio¸ which means that the contract is null and void from the very beginning.

Glossary | Practical Law

An action, document or transaction which is void is of no legal effect whatsoever: an absolute nullity the law treats it as if it had never existed or happened. The term void ab initio, which means to be…

Void ab initio means that a contract is null from the beginning and has no legal effect whatsoever. In contrast, a voidable contract is initially valid but can be annulled at the discretion of one party due to certain conditions such as misrepresentation or undue influence.

When a contract is deemed void ab initio, it is considered null and void from the beginning. This means that neither party can enforce the terms of the contract, and any obligations or rights arising from the contract are extinguished.