What is the mirror-image rule?

The mirror-image rule is an important principle within contract law in Mississippi. This is a rule that essentially states that a contract is formed only when acceptance of an offer is identical to the offer that was originally made. This means that if one party makes an offer, the recipient of the offer cannot make any changes or alterations to that offer and still have a valid contract. For example, if Party A offers Party B a payment of $500 in exchange for performing a service, Party B cannot accept the offer with the condition that they receive payment of $700 instead. If Party B accepts this new, altered offer then there is no valid contract as the acceptance does not mirror the original offer. The mirror-image rule also applies to rejections of an offer. If one party rejects an offer, they cannot then accept that same offer as if it was a new offer. In that case, the original offer has expired and the rejection cannot be reversed. The mirror-image rule is an important aspect of contract law in Mississippi that helps to ensure that both parties are operating in good faith and that any agreements that are made are legally binding. Without this rule, one party could change the terms of an agreement and force the other party to accept without having the same understanding of the agreement as the first party.

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What is the mirror-image rule?

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