Also known as:quoad hoc · quoad ultra · as to · with respect to
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A Latin phrase meaning as regards or with regard to. It limits the scope of a statement or legal rule to a particular person, matter, or aspect while leaving other applications unaffected.
Sources & Authorities· 40 primary sources
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Cases
Statutes
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Presidential Duty Limited
Quentin Quinn challenged whether the president had fulfilled the duty to inform Congress. The court held that the obligation applied quoad the annual State of the Union address but imposed no requirement for additional written reports on routine matters.
Joinder Scope Clarified
Queenie Quinones and Quinn Quigley sued together over a shared supply contract. The court permitted joinder quoad the common transaction but required separate trials on individual damage calculations.
Prospective Client Status
Quinlan Quick consulted an attorney about a possible business dispute. The lawyer treated Quinlan as a prospective client quoad the initial meeting but accepted an adverse representation once no engagement followed.
Quintina Qualls conveyed property to her niece for the niece's lifetime. The deed created a life estate quoad the niece alone and left the grantor's remainder interest unaffected by the limitation.
Agent Knowledge Standard
Quorum Partners retained an agent to negotiate a lease. The principal was charged with knowledge quoad facts the agent should have discovered through ordinary care but not with facts outside the agency scope.
Mistake Assumption Risk
Quincy Manufacturing sold equipment believing it would perform at a certain capacity. The buyer bore the risk of mistake quoad its limited pre-contract investigation and could not later rescind on that ground.
Common questions
Frequently Asked
3
How does quoad limit the application of a legal rule?+
The phrase restricts the effect of a statement or holding to the identified person or matter. In the conspiracy example, the court used it to show that one conspiracy existed quoad the smugglers even if retailers formed separate groups.
Supporting sources
Is quoad used only in criminal cases?+
No. The dictionary entry illustrates its use in property contexts to describe continued possession quoad the world at large while a pledge exists.
Supporting sources
What is the difference between quoad and general limiting language such as as to?+
Quoad is a concise Latin equivalent that signals a precise carve-out within a larger rule. It appears in both casebook analysis and formal dictionary definitions to isolate the exact scope of liability or obligation.
Supporting sources
410 U.S. 113 (1973)Constitutional Law
…Each grows in substantiality as the woman approaches term and, at a point during pregnancy, each becomes "compelling." With respect to the State's important and legitimate interest in the health of the mother, the "compelling" point, in the light of present medical knowledge, is at approximately the end of the first…
ContractsPerformance, breach, and discharge · Discharge of duties (including accord and satisfaction, substituted contract, novation, rescission, and release)UBEFoundational