Also known as: among themselves · between the parties
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A Latin phrase denoting rights or obligations existing solely among the parties to a transaction or relationship rather than to third parties.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Ike Ingram sent a signed purchase order to Innovate Pharmaceuticals for $600 of raw materials. The order listed the goods and price but omitted delivery terms. When Innovate later refused to ship, Ike sued. The court held the writing sufficient because it indicated a contract had been made between the parties.
Idina Iverson sued a law school over its admissions policy while still enrolled. Before the case reached judgment, Idina completed all credits and received her diploma. The court dismissed the action because no live controversy remained between the parties.
Iris Irons emailed Integrity Partners a purchase confirmation for industrial parts priced at $1,200. The email omitted the exact quantity. When Integrity refused delivery, Iris could not enforce the deal beyond the quantity shown because the record failed to indicate a complete contract between the parties.
Ines Ibarra's firm approached a customer already under contract with Ironclad Industries. Ironclad sued for interference. The court examined the relations between the parties to decide whether the outreach was improper.
Iain Irons owned a life estate in a parcel and granted a right-of-way to a railroad across the eastern half. His co-owners of the remainder interest objected. The court upheld the servitude because no privity relationship between the parties is necessary to create it.
Isabelle Inman married Iain Irons solely to obtain a visa. They signed a side agreement stating they would maintain separate finances and owe each other no support. When immigration authorities questioned the marriage, the court examined whether the parties intended the usual obligations of marriage between themselves.
It refers to the internal rights and duties that exist solely among the partners themselves rather than with outside creditors. Partnership statutes supply default rules for these inter se relations that the partners may modify by agreement.
Inter se obligations bind only the parties to the relationship. Third-party creditors may enforce joint liabilities against any partner regardless of the partners' internal allocation of losses.
Courts generally decline to adjudicate ongoing intrafamily disputes over domestic rights and duties. They intervene only when the family has broken up, failed to function, or the conduct violates strong public policy.
…use of peyote was in fact proscribed by Oregon’s controlled substance law, and that this issue was a matter of dispute between the parties. Being “uncertain about the legality of the religious use of peyote in Oregon,” we determined that it would not be “appropriate for us to decide whether the practice is protected by the…