What is a promissory estoppel?

Promissory estoppel is a legal doctrine which states that when one party makes a promise to another party which induces them to do something in reliance of that promise, the promisor will be legally held to that promise even if the contract wouldn’t normally be binding. In other words, this doctrine prevents a promisor from going back on their word despite not having any formal agreement in place due to the reliance of the promisee. In California, this principle can be used in debtor and creditor law if the promisee has relied on a promise from the debtor, such as a promise to repay a debt, yet the debtor refuses to adhere to that promise. A court can then enforce the promise through promissory estoppel and order the debtor to repay the debt. This legal doctrine helps to protect debtors from being unfairly taken advantage of, while also ensuring a promise made is kept if necessary.

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What is a promissory estoppel?

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