--- title: Oral Modifications of a Contract are Valid description: Even the most experienced, smartest lawyers are surprised at just how lenient Minnesota law is in permitting oral modifications to written contracts. Even if your written contract requires that all modifications must be in writing, the contract can be modified orally. The standard of proof is high—clear and convincing evidence is required, but certainly attainable. --- [Dan's Desk](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/author/dan-gallatin) - [lawyer](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/lawyer) - [hugo](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/hugo) - [MN](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/mn) - [law](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/law) - [attorney](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/attorney) - [legal](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/legal) [Subscribe](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/oral-modifications-of-a-contract-are-valid#) 04/20/2016 # Oral Modifications of a Contract are Valid - - - - - [mailto:?subject=Oral%20Modifications%20of%20a%20Contract%20are%20Valid&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gallatin-law.com%2Fblog%2Foral-modifications-of-a-contract-are-valid](mailto:?subject=Oral%20Modifications%20of%20a%20Contract%20are%20Valid&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gallatin-law.com%2Fblog%2Foral-modifications-of-a-contract-are-valid) ![verbal contract change on a napkin.bmp](http://96bda424cfcc34d9dd1a-0a7f10f87519dba22d2dbc6233a731e5.r41.cf2.rackcdn.com/gallatinlaw/verbal_contract_change_on_a_napkin_bmp.jpg)Even the most experienced, smartest lawyers are surprised at just how lenient Minnesota law is in permitting oral modifications to written contracts. Even if your written contract requires that all modifications must be in writing, the contract can be modified orally. The standard of proof is high—clear and convincing evidence is required, but certainly attainable. The best tip I can offer is that if you think there has been an oral modification to your agreement with another party, write down the change and send it to the other party. Write it down on a cocktail napkin, make a copy, and send the napkin—even that is better than nothing! The material contained herein is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice, nor is it a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney. Each situation is unique, and you should not act or rely on any information contained herein without seeking the advice of an experienced attorney. All information contained in links are the property of the linked site. - [contract](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/contract), - [attorney](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/attorney), - [hugo](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/hugo), - [law](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/law), - [lawyer](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/lawyer), - [legal](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/legal), - [minnesota](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/minnesota), - [MN](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/mn), - [modification](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/modification), - [oral contract](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/tag/oral-contract) ![Dan Gallatin](https://www.gallatin-law.com/hubfs/assets-mjfw/site%20images/Dans-Desk.jpg) ## [Dan Gallatin](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/author/dan-gallatin) Dan is a lifelong resident of Minnesota. Born in St. Paul, Dan spent many of his formative years growing up there before moving to White Bear Lake. After graduating from White Bear Lake, Dan spent four glorious years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a degree in two majors. Dan worked as a Senior Investigator at the Minnesota Department of Commerce for several years after graduating from college. During his final years Dan attended William Mitchell College of Law while still working full-time. During this exhausting 3 ½ year period Dan honed his skills in becoming an efficient, to-the-point legal practitioner. While at Madison Dan met his wife, Tonya, and together they moved to Minnesota to plant their roots. Dan and Tonya have two amazing, unique children and reside in Hugo. ### CONNECT WITH ME - ## Related Posts [![Impossibility of Performance](https://www.gallatin-law.com/hubfs/Canva%20images/Canva%20Design%20DAFb9HLqY-k.png) 03/01/2023 Impossibility of Performance So you've been reading this blog all along and have taken to heart the idea to get things in writing. But now you're in a spot where you just can't… Read Post ](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/impossibility-of-performance) [07/25/2019 Construction Contracts and Implied Warranty of Fitness for the Purpose Whether in Hugo, Scandia or Duluth, Minnesota recognizes an implied warranty of fitness for purpose in construction contracts. An implied warranty is… Read Post ](https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/construction-contracts-and-implied-warranty-of-fitness-for-the-purpose) ### Subscribe Here! ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Dan Gallatin", "url" : "https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/author/dan-gallatin" }, "dateModified" : "2020-08-21T22:54:42.396Z", "datePublished" : "2016-04-20T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Oral Modifications of a Contract are Valid", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.gallatin-law.com/blog/oral-modifications-of-a-contract-are-valid", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.gallatin-law.com/hubfs/logos/Gallatin-Logo-654x84.png" }, "name" : "Gallatin Law, PLLC" } } ```