Deed of Release (General One Way)

This Deed of Release (General One Way) is for use when one Party is releasing another Party from certain obligations or liabilities. If multiple parties are simultaneously releasing each other from various obligations and liabilities, our Deed of Release (Mutual) might be appropriate. For employment situations (when an employee is leaving the employer), we have a Deed of Release for Employment available.

This Deed of Release (General One Way) may be used to settle a dispute between the Parties, for example if one Party (the "First Party") is alleging that the other Party (the "Second Party") is liable to the First Party for some reason.

Rather than taking legal action in the courts, the Parties may reach an agreement out of court, and may use this Deed to document that agreement. For example, if the Second Party crashes into the First Party's car, the First Party might agree to refrain from taking any legal action against the Second Party, provided that the Second Party pays an agreed sum of money to the First Party.

By reaching an agreement in this manner, both Parties may avoid a lot of stress, save on legal costs, and still reach an appropriate resolution.

By signing this Deed, the Second Party does not actually have to admit any liability. In fact, a clause can be included in the Deed whereby the Parties specifically confirm that nothing in the Deed says anything about either Party's actual liability.

However, within the Deed, the Parties can confirm that the Second Party is released from all relevant liabilities towards the First Party. In return, the Second Party may agree to provide some type of compensation to the First Party (often in the form of money, although other compensation such as goods or services may also be included).

Once the Parties enter the Deed, the dispute between them will be finalised, meaning that neither Party can take any further action (in relation to the particular issue that is in dispute). This means that the Parties may be giving up some of their legal rights. Therefore, if the Parties have any concerns about this, they should seek legal advice.

How to use this document

Use this Deed of Release (General One Way) when a Party wishes to release another Party from certain obligations or liabilities. Record the various details of the final agreement between the Parties.

Within the Deed, the Parties may enter the following information:

• Identifying details for each Party
• Details about the relationship between the Parties (in other words, what has happened between the Parties, giving rise to the need for this Deed)
• Details of any payment or other benefit which the released Party is providing, in return for the release which this Deed provides
• A confidentiality clause (although if confidentiality is important to the Parties, they may also consider preparing a separate Confidentiality Agreement)

Importantly, it is worth noting that this Deed serves to "release" the Parties from some of their respective obligations. Therefore, in respect of a particular obligation, the Party which is "releasing" the other Party, is effectively giving up some of their legal rights.

This should not be done without careful consideration. Both Parties should make sure that they understand the consequences of this. If they have any doubt, they should seek independent legal advice. Because of this, the Deed also includes a clause confirming that the Parties have had the opportunity to obtain legal advice (and either took that advice, or chose not to obtain advice). If either Party has not had the opportunity to obtain legal advice, then they should not sign the Deed.

Once the Deed has been prepared (and before it is signed), both Parties may take a copy and review it to ensure that they understand the Deed and are happy with the terms of it.

There are certain formal requirements that need to be met in order for a Deed to be validly signed. This Deed will need to be signed in accordance with those formal requirements, or it may not be legally binding. For example, for an individual to validly sign a Deed, the signature clause should read "Signed Sealed and Delivered" and they should sign it before an independent adult witness, who also provides their full name and signature. The rules regarding the signing of Deeds by companies are set out in the Corporations Act 2001, and generally require the Deed to be signed by two directors, or by a director and the secretary or in the event that the company has a sole director who is also the secretary, by that person.

Again, if the Parties are unsure about this, they should seek legal advice. If the Parties get this wrong, the Deed may not be legally binding.

Applicable law

If this Deed is being used to release a Party from certain contractual obligations, then general principles of contract law, as provided by the common law, may apply.

In addition, if the Deed is being used to release a Party from other legal obligations, for example, in connection with damage to property or personal injuries, then various other bodies of law may apply. For example, each state and territory has legislation and common law that deals with civil liability, and which may need to be considered.

Each state and territory has legislation that addresses the formalities that apply to the signing of deeds by individuals. In addition, the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) deals with the signing of deeds by companies.

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