What is the parol evidence rule?

The parol evidence rule is a rule of contract law in Virginia that states that any evidence of a prior or contemporaneous oral agreement between two parties is not admissible to change or contradict the agreed upon written contract. This rule is based on the idea that a written contract should be a final, complete document that sets out the full agreement between the parties. The parol evidence rule recognizes that if parties have agreed to a written contract, that written document is meant to set out the intentions and agreements of both parties. Any evidence of a prior or contemporaneous oral agreement would change the expressed intentions of the parties in the written agreement and thus, is not admissible in court. The parol evidence rule is designed to prevent parties from attempting to revise the terms of the written agreement after the fact, or from seeking to introduce evidence that would contradict the expressed terms of the agreement. It is also meant to prevent parties from withholding evidence from each other in an attempt to gain advantage. In most cases, evidence of a prior or contemporaneous oral agreement between the parties is not admissible in court and the parol evidence rule prevents this evidence from being used to modify or contradict the terms of a written contract.

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