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Hey everyone, and welcome back 
for another deep dive into the 

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world of law. 
Today we were talking about 

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something that could be a little
tricky, but I promise it's 

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really important. 
It's called promissory estoppel.

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Promissory estoppel. 
Yeah, have you heard of this 

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one? 
Yeah. 

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So promissory estoppel, it's 
basically like a way for the 

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courts to like step in and be 
fair even when there's not like 

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a formal contract. 
OK, so it's like a loophole 

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almost. 
Yeah, you could think of it like

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that. 
It's like a way to make sure 

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that someone keeps their word 
even if they didn't sign 

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anything official. 
I see. 

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OK, so let's say like, I'm in 
law school, right? 

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And I make a deal with my 
roommate to split the rent. 

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Yeah, but we don't write it down
or anything. 

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It's just like a verbal 
agreement. 

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I see where you're going with 
us. 

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So then my roommate bails and 
they don't pay their share of 

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the rent. 
Can I use promissory estoppel to

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yeah get my money? 
You might be able to. 

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It would depend on the specifics
of the situation, but that's 

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exactly the kind of scenario 
where promissory estoppel could 

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come into play. 
Interesting. 

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So it's not just for like 
businesses or anything. 

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No, not at all. 
It applies to everyday 

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agreements too. 
OK, so how does this actually 

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work in court? 
So there are like four key 

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elements that you need to prove.
It's like a recipe. 

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You need all the ingredients for
it to work. 

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All right, let's hear it. 
I love a good recipe. 

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So first you need a clear and 
definite promise, not just like 

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a vague idea. 
OK, so not like, hey, maybe I'll

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pay you back someday. 
Exactly. 

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It has to be specific and 
unambiguous. 

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Like I promise to pay you $500 
on Friday. 

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Got it. 
So clear and definite promise. 

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That's number one. 
Yep. 

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What's next? 
What else goes in this legal 

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Stew? 
The second element is reasonable

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and foreseeable reliance. 
OK, that sounds. 

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Complicated. 
It's basically saying that the 

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person who received the promise 
actually relied on it. 

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Yeah. 
And that the person making the 

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promise could have reasonably 
expected that they would rely on

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it. 
OK, so let me try an example. 

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Jack, go for it. 
Let's say a friend promises to 

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give me a ride to the airport, 
and I don't book a taxi because 

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of that. 
OK. 

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But then they flake on me. 
That seems like reasonable 

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reliance, right? 
It could be, but the court would

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look at all the details like did
your friend know you didn't have

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any other way to get to the 
airport? 

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That makes sense. 
And did you make it clear that 

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you were counting on them? 
So it's not just about whether I

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relied on the promise, but also 
about whether my friend could 

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have foreseen that reliance. 
Exactly. 

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It has to be reasonable on both 
sides. 

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OK, so we have a clear promise 
and reasonable reliance. 

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What's next? 
The third element is what we 

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call detrimental reliance. 
Detrimental reliance. 

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What does that mean? 
This one's really important. 

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It means that you suffered some 
kind of real harm because you 

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relied on the promise. 
OK, so it's not just about being

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disappointed or let down. 
There has to be some actual 

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damage. 
Right. 

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Like financial loss or a missed 
opportunity? 

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So, for example, if I was 
promised a scholarship and then 

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it fell through and I had to 
take out extra loans. 

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Yeah, that could definitely 
qualify as detrimental reliance.

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OK, so we've got the promise, 
the reliance, and the harm. 

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What's the final ingredient in 
this promissory estoppel recipe?

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The last element is injustice 
without enforcement. 

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This is where the courts get to 
really consider fairness. 

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They ask whether it would be 
fundamentally unjust to let the 

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promise breaker off the hook. 
So it's not just about checking 

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boxes on a legal checklist. 
There's a human element involved

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too. 
Absolutely. 

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The courts want to make sure 
that justice is served even in 

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situations where there's no 
formal contract. 

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OK, I'm starting to see how this
all fits together. 

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Yeah, but I think we need a real
life example to really bring it 

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home. 
You're right. 

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Let's talk about a classic case 
that really illustrates 

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promissory estoppel. 
OK, I'm all ears. 

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Have you ever heard of Ricketts 
V Scothorn? 

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Ricketts V Scothorn rings a 
bell. 

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I think I might have skimmed it 
in Torts. 

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It's a landmark case from 1898, 
and it's all about a grandfather

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who made a promise to his 
granddaughter. 

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OK, this sounds juicy. 
Tell me more. 

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Well, this grandfather, he 
really loved his granddaughter 

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and he wanted her to have a good
life. 

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So we promised to give her a sum
of money, enough for her to quit

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her job and never have to work 
again. 

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Wow, that's quite a promise. 
What happened next? 

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Well, the granddaughter, she 
trusted her grandfather and she 

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quit her job just like he 
wanted. 

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But then tragedy struck. 
The grandfather passed away 

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before he could give her all the
money. 

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Oh no. 
And his estate? 

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They refused to pay up. 
They. 

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They claimed there was no formal
contract, so they weren't 

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obligated to honor the promise. 
So the question is, did the 

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granddaughter get left high and 
dry? 

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That's the $1,000,000 question. 
Or did promissory estoppel come 

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to the rescue? 
I'm on the edge of my seat here.

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Well, the court took a close 
look at the case and they 

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decided that all four elements 
of promissory estoppel were 

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present. 
Really. 

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Let's break it down then. 
First, do we have that clear and

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definite promise? 
Absolutely. 

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The grandfather's promise was 
very specific. 

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He told his granddaughter 
exactly how much money he would 

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give her and what she had to do 
to receive it. 

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OK, so clear promise check. 
What about reasonable and 

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foreseeable reliance? 
Could the grandfather have 

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expected his granddaughter to 
rely on his promise? 

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The court said yes. 
Any reasonable person would have

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known that the granddaughter 
would take her grandfather at 

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his word and quit her job based 
on his promise. 

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So her reliance was totally 
foreseeable? 

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Exactly. 
OK, so we've got the promise and

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the reliance, but did the 
granddaughter actually suffer 

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any harm? 
Yes, detrimental reliance. 

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By quitting her job, the 
granddaughter gave up her income

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and financial security. 
That's a big. 

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Deal it is. 
And the court recognized that as

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a real and tangible harm. 
All right, so that's three 

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elements down. 
What about the final element? 

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Injustice without enforcement 
Did the court think it would be 

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unfair to let the estate off the
hook? 

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I mean, come on, It seems pretty
clear that, yeah, siding with 

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the estate wouldn't exactly be. 
Just, I mean, come on, it seems 

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pretty clear that yeah, siding 
with the estate wouldn't exactly

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be just. 
You're right, and the court 

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agreed. 
They ruled in favor of the 

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granddaughter, saying that it 
would be a grave injustice to 

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allow the estate to benefit from
the grandfather's promise 

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without actually honoring his 
commitment. 

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Wow, Ricketts V. 
Scotthorne is a powerful 

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example. 
It really shows how promissory 

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estoppel can ensure fairness 
even when there's no formal 

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contract. 
It's a classic case for a 

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reason. 
It demonstrates the court's 

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willingness to look beyond the 
strict letter of the law and 

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consider the human element. 
So Rickettsby, Scotland, that 

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was back in 1898. 
That's right. 

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Does promissory estoppel still 
apply today? 

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Absolutely. 
It's a legal principle that's 

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still very much alive and well. 
OK, good to know because I have 

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a feeling we'll be seeing it pop
up again and again. 

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You're probably right, it's a 
versatile tool that can be used 

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in a variety of situations. 
So what are some other examples 

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of how promissory estoppel might
play out in the real world? 

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Let's think about the world of 
employment for a moment. 

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Imagine a company promises an 
employee a promotion if they 

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land a big client. 
The employee works really hard, 

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puts an extra hours, and they 
finally secure the client. 

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But then the company backs out 
of the deal. 

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That's the worst. 
It is, and that's where 

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promissory estoppel could come 
in. 

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If the employee can show that 
they relied on that promise and 

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suffered some kind of harm, like
turning down other job offers or

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incurring expenses, they might 
have a case for promissory 

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estoppel. 
So it's about holding companies 

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accountable for the promises 
they make to their employees. 

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Exactly what? 
About In the nonprofit world, I 

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imagine promises play a big role
in fundraising. 

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You're absolutely right. 
Imagine a nonprofit is working 

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on a big project, like building 
a new Community Center. 

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They get a huge donation pledge 
from a wealthy donor and they 

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start making plans based on that
promise, but then the donor 

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suddenly backs out. 
Oh no, that could be devastating

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for the nonprofit. 
It could, and in that situation 

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promissory estoppel could 
potentially protect them. 

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If they can demonstrate that 
they relied on that donation 

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pledge and suffered real harm 
because of the donors change of 

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heart, they might be able to 
enforce the pledge. 

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So it sounds like promissory 
estoppel is a pretty powerful 

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tool. 
It is. 

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It's a way to ensure fairness 
and prevent injustice. 

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And it's not just a dusty old 
legal concept. 

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It's something that can have 
real world implications, Yeah, 

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in a variety of situations. 
Exactly, and for all you law 

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students out there, promissory 
stopple is definitely a concept 

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you want to have a solid 
understanding of. 

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I'm starting to see why. 
It seems like it touches on some

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fundamental ideas about trust 
and keeping your word. 

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You're getting it. 
It's about recognizing that 

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promises have real weight, even 
when they're not written down in

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a formal contract. 
That makes me wonder what would 

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happen if we lived in a world 
without promissory estoppel. 

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Oh, that's a good question. 
What if the only promises that 

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mattered were the ones in 
official contracts? 

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That would definitely change 
things. 

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Think about all the everyday 
agreements we make with friends 

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and family. 
Would we have to write a 

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contract every time we made 
plans to meet for coffee? 

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That would be a little 
ridiculous. 

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It would, and it would probably 
make us a lot less trusting of 

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each other. 
So promissory estoppel, it's 

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about more than just the law. 
It's about maintaining trust and

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fairness in society. 
Exactly. 

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It's a reminder that our words 
have power and that we should be

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held accountable for the 
promises we make. 

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I like that. 
And on that note, I think we're 

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going to have to wrap things up 
for today. 

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Sounds good, but before we go, I
want to leave our listeners with

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one final thought. 
OK, hit me with it. 

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Think about this, Could society 
function properly without the 

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concept of promissory estoppel? 
That's a good one. 

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I may have to ponder that. 
All right, everyone, that's all 

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the time we have for today's 
deep dive, but I hope this is 

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giving you a good overview of 
promissory estoppel and a little

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bit to think about. 
We'll catch you next time. 

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See you then for another deep 
dive into the fascinating world 

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of law all. 
Right, so we're talking about 

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Ricketts Viscothorn. 
Yeah, the case of the generous 

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grandfather. 
Right. 

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So the court had to figure out 
if all four elements of 

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promissory estoppel were there. 
OK, let's start with the first 

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one. 
Was there a clear and definite 

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promise? 
Oh, absolutely. 

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The grandfather was very 
specific about how much money he

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was going to give his 
granddaughter. 

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OK, so that one's easy. 
Yeah, no question there. 

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What about the second element? 
Reasonable and foreseeable 

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reliance, right? 
So could the grandfather have 

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reasonably expected that his 
granddaughter would rely on his 

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promise? 
Good question. 

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Well, the court said yes. 
They said any reasonable person 

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would have known that the 
granddaughter would quit her job

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based on that promise. 
So basically, the grandfather 

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should have known that his 
promise would have real 

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consequences? 
Exactly. 

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OK, so we've got the promise and
the reliance, but did the 

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granddaughter actually suffer 
any harm? 

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That's the third element, 
remember? 

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Detrimental reliance. 
Right. 

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And in this case, the harm was 
pretty clear. 

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How so? 
Well, by quitting her job, the 

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granddaughter lost her income 
and financial security. 

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That's definitely a detriment. 
It is, and the court recognized 

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that. 
So it's three elements down. 

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Yep, just one more to. 
Go injustice without 

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enforcement. 
Right, That's the big one. 

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Would it be fundamentally unfair
to let the estate get away with 

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breaking the promise? 
Well, this case it seems pretty 

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obvious. 
I agree, and the court thought 

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so too. 
They ruled in favor of the 

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granddaughter. 
They said it would be a grave 

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injustice to allow the estate to
benefit from the grandfather's 

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promise without actually 
honoring his commitment. 

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Wow, Ricketts V Scothorn, what a
case. 

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It really is a landmark 
decision. 

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It shows how promissory estoppel
can protect people even when 

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there's no formal contract. 
And it highlights the court's 

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willingness to consider fairness
and justice. 

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So OK, Ricketts V scoff on that 
was way back in 1898. 

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A long time ago. 
But does Promissory Estabo still

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apply today? 
Oh, absolutely. 

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00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,040
It's a legal principle that's 
still very much in use. 

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That's good to know because I 
have a feeling we're going to be

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seeing it again and again. 
You're probably right, it's a 

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very versatile concept. 
It can be applied in all sorts 

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of situations. 
So tell me, what are some other 

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examples of how promissory 
estoppel might play out in the 

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real world? 
OK, let's shift gears for a 

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second, yeah, and think about 
the world of employment. 

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OK, employment law always gets 
me. 

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It's a big one. 
So imagine this. 

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A company promises an employee a
promotion. 

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You know if they land a big 
client. 

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The classic dangling carrot. 
Exactly. 

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So the employee, they work 
really hard, they put in long 

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hours and they finally close the
deal. 

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00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:44,120
Nice work. 
Right. 

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But then the company backs out 
of the promotion. 

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Oh no, classic bait and switch. 
It happens more often than you'd

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00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:52,520
think. 
So what can the employee do? 

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Well, that's where promissory 
estoppel could come in handy. 

283
00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:59,040
OK, how so? 
If the employee can prove that 

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they relied on that promise of a
promotion, yeah, and that they 

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suffered some kind of harm as a 
result, they might have a case. 

286
00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:07,240
What kind of harm are we 
talking? 

287
00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,640
About like maybe they turned 
down other job offers or they 

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00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,240
incurred expenses, you know, 
relocating or something, things 

289
00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,400
like that. 
So promissory estoppel can 

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00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,040
protect employees from shady 
employers. 

291
00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,720
You could say that. 
OK, what about nonprofits? 

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00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:25,400
I imagine promises are a big 
deal in fundraising. 

293
00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,040
Absolutely. 
Think about it. 

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00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,040
A nonprofit is working on a big 
project, let's say building a 

295
00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:32,200
new Community Center. 
OK, I'm following. 

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00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:36,640
So they get a huge donation 
pledge from a wealthy donor and 

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00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,000
they start making plans based on
that promise. 

298
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,680
But then what if the donor backs
out? 

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00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:42,680
That's the nightmare scenario, 
right? 

300
00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,000
It is. 
That could be devastating for 

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00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:46,560
the nonprofit. 
It could, and that's where 

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00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:49,120
promissory esople could come in.
It could potentially protect the

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00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:52,640
nonprofit from the fallout of a 
broken promise. 

304
00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:57,000
So if the nonprofit can prove 
that they relied on that pledge 

305
00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,640
and that they suffered real harm
because of the donors change of 

306
00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,520
heart, they might be able to 
enforce the donation. 

307
00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,280
So promissory Stopple, it's not 
just for businesses, Yeah. 

308
00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:08,400
Or individuals? 
Nope. 

309
00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:11,640
It can also protect nonprofits. 
So it seems like Promissory is 

310
00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,000
stopple. 
It's a pretty powerful tool for 

311
00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:16,680
ensuring fairness. 
It really. 

312
00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:19,840
Is and it's not just some 
abstract legal concept, it has 

313
00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,960
real world applications. 
Absolutely. 

314
00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,520
It's about recognizing that 
promises matter. 

315
00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,920
And it can make a real 
difference in people's lives. 

316
00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:29,440
Exactly. 
I'm starting to see why this is 

317
00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,000
such an important concept. 
It is. 

318
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,400
It's about upholding trust and 
ensuring that people are held 

319
00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,520
accountable for the commitments 
they make. 

320
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,200
You know, it makes me wonder, 
what's that? 

321
00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:43,160
What would happen if we lived in
a world without promissory 

322
00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:46,440
estoppel? 
A world without promissory 

323
00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:48,720
estoppel. 
Yeah, what if only formal 

324
00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,320
contracts mattered and verbal 
promises were basically 

325
00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,840
meaningless? 
That's a really interesting 

326
00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:56,160
question. 
Think about it. 

327
00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:00,360
All those everyday agreements we
make with friends, family, 

328
00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:02,120
colleagues. 
Would we have to write a 

329
00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,000
contract every time we made 
plans to meet for lunch? 

330
00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:07,120
I guess so. 
It would be a different world 

331
00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:08,640
for sure. 
Yeah, it seems like it would be 

332
00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,160
a lot less trusting, a lot less 
spontaneous. 

333
00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,480
Definitely. 
So maybe promissory estoppel. 

334
00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,360
It's not just about the law, 
it's about preserving something 

335
00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,280
fundamental about how we 
interact with each other. 

336
00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,000
You're right, it's about 
maintaining a sense of trust and

337
00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:25,960
ensuring that our words have 
meaning. 

338
00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:27,760
I like that. 
Yeah, what kind of make you 

339
00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,160
wonder? 
Like, would people even make 

340
00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:30,640
promises anymore? 
Right. 

341
00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,280
Like what would be the point if 
they didn't have any real 

342
00:15:33,280 --> 00:15:34,960
weight? 
It's like that old saying, a 

343
00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:41,120
promise is a comfort to a fool. 
But maybe promissory estoppel is

344
00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:43,560
what keeps those promises from 
becoming foolish. 

345
00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,640
I think you're on to something. 
Because it injects that element 

346
00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:47,920
of accountability. 
Right. 

347
00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,320
It's like a safety net for those
who rely on promises in good 

348
00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,840
faith. 
So as we wrap up our deep dive 

349
00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,360
today, what's the key take away 
you want our listeners to 

350
00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:58,520
remember? 
Well, I'd say, remember, this 

351
00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,800
promissory is stoppable. 
It's more than just a legal 

352
00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,120
concept. 
It's a reminder that the law is 

353
00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,760
designed to uphold fairness and 
protect those who rely on 

354
00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,600
promises, even when those 
promises aren't written down. 

355
00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,600
I like that. 
So basically, don't just assume 

356
00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:16,880
that a promise is meaningless 
just because it wasn't in a 

357
00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:18,200
formal contract. 
Exactly. 

358
00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,640
Promissory Stoppel might be the 
key to getting justice. 

359
00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,280
All right, everyone, that's all 
the time we have for today's 

360
00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:26,800
deep dive, but I hope this is 
giving you a good understanding 

361
00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,560
of promissory estoppel and maybe
even inspired you to think a 

362
00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,280
little differently about the 
power of promises. 

363
00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,360
Until next time, keep those 
legal minds sharp and we'll 

364
00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,520
catch you on our next deep dive 
into the fascinating world of 

365
00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:41,400
law. 
See you then.