Latin term meaning "from the beginning"
Wikipedia
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Ab initio - Wikipedia
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.
Wikipedia
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Void (law) - Wikipedia
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.
Videos
Law Insider
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Void ab initio Definition | Law Insider
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 ...
Law Insider
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VOID AB INITIO Sample Clauses | Law Insider
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 ......
Cornell Law School
law.cornell.edu › lii › wex › ab initio
ab initio | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
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.
Fiveable
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Void ab initio Definition - Elementary Latin Key Term | Fiveable
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.
B&B Associates LLP
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Void ab initio - Legal Maxim
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.
UpCounsel
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Check out this article...Ab Initio Meaning in Law: Definition, Usage, and Examples
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.
Sklaw
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Void ab initio - Law Dictionary
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
RunSensible
runsensible.com › dictionary of legal terms › ab initio
Ab Initio - RunSensible
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....
Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english › ab-initio
AB INITIO | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
If a marriage is void "ab initio", then it is automatically null, although a declaration of nullity is required to establish this.
Live in Private
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void ab initio - Live in Private
December 7, 2023 - For instance, if a contract is found to be based on fraud or is against the law, a court might declare it “void ab initio,” meaning it is null and void from the moment it was created, and it holds no legal force whatsoever.
Westlaw
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Glossary | Practical Law - Legal Resources & Know-How for Professionals
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