Integration clause - sustany/dvg GitHub Wiki

In contract law, an integration clause�also sometimes called a merger clause or an entire agreement clause�is a provision that states that the terms of a contract are the complete and final agreement between the parties. As such, any previous agreements� that may conflict with the final terms covered by the integration clause�whether written or verbal�cannot be entered as evidence if there is a contract dispute. This is due to the parol evidence rule, which allows parties to admit evidence outside of the contract itself only if any terms in the final contract are ambiguous.

A party looking to include an integration clause in a contract should make sure that the clause uses language that is used and accepted by courts. One example of an integration clause given on LexisNexis is that: �The parties intend this statement of their agreement to constitute the complete, exclusive, and fully integrated statement of their agreement. As such, it is the sole expression of their agreement, and they are not bound by any other agreements of whatsoever kind or nature.�

In criminal law, integration clauses can be seen in plea agreements. For example, in the 6th Circuit case of United States v. Hunt, the defendant and the government made a plea agreement with an integration clause under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Under this rule, a defendant cannot later state that there were additional side agreements, as the plea agreement becomes final. The exception to this is if both parties acknowledge an additional agreement, as was the case in another 6th Circuit case, Peavy v. United States.