# Hand-written contract legally binding?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-written-contract-legally-binding/163037>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 21, 2003, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-written-contract-legally-binding/163037 "2003-03-21T05:35:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![WillSantini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@WillSantini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillSantini)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-written-contract-legally-binding/163037/21 "2003-03-21T23:38:03Z")

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:slight hijack:

What if I sign the contract with some one else’s name or misspell my name? If my last name is White, but my hand writting is so bad it looks like Whale, can I argue that I did not intend to write my name so as to get out of the contract? What if my name is Bob Smith but I always spell and sign it Daffy Duck, will I still be held to that contract?

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**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-written-contract-legally-binding/163037/22 "2003-03-21T23:42:21Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by WillSantini \*  
> \*\*:slight hijack:
> 
> What if I sign the contract with some one else’s name or misspell my name? If my last name is White, but my hand writting is so bad it looks like Whale, can I argue that I did not intend to write my name so as to get out of the contract? What if my name is Bob Smith but I always spell and sign it Daffy Duck, will I still be held to that contract? \*\*

Yup. Crossing your fingers doesn’t work, either.

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**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-written-contract-legally-binding/163037/23 "2003-03-22T00:02:15Z")

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. . . as the Army recruiter explained to me.

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**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-written-contract-legally-binding/163037/24 "2003-03-22T10:31:01Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by WillSantini \*  
> \*\*:slight hijack:  
> What if I sign the contract with some one else’s name or misspell my name? \*\*

Your question was the subject of a [recent thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170126)

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**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-written-contract-legally-binding/163037/25 "2003-03-24T14:45:42Z")

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Anyone who wishes may use my disclaimer – I disclaim my ownership. 😉

I have been more careful about it in this thread than in others because it seems the sort of question that may be based in a real-life factual situation.

–Cliffy

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