Also known as: reasonably certain · reasonable degree of certainty
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A standard requiring that facts, losses, descriptions, or terms be shown without undue speculation so that a decision maker can reasonably ascertain their existence, scope, or amount. The standard demands evidence sufficient to support a reasoned conclusion rather than absolute precision or mathematical exactness.
Rachel Ramirez, a criminal defense attorney, learns during a meeting that her client plans to poison a witness the following week. She reasonably believes disclosure is the only way to stop the attack. Rachel contacts the police with the details because the harm meets the threshold of reasonable certainty.
Rajesh Rao emails a supplier confirming purchase of 500 widgets at a stated price with delivery in thirty days. The supplier replies with matching details but omits the payment schedule. The emails state the essential terms with reasonable certainty and therefore satisfy the statute of frauds.
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Raphael Rivera executes a will that refers to an attached inventory of personal property. The inventory existed when the will was signed and lists each item and beneficiary with clear descriptions. The court incorporates the list because it is identified with reasonable certainty.
Robert Rivera agrees to buy solar panels from Regal Apparel for its next-quarter installations. The parties leave the exact per-panel price open but perform several shipments at the listed rate. A court finds a contract because the parties intended to be bound and a reasonably certain basis exists for remedy.
Police obtain a warrant for a suspect whose name is unknown but who is described as a six-foot-tall man with a distinctive scar on his left cheek last seen driving a red sedan near the crime scene. The description identifies the defendant with reasonable certainty and the warrant is valid.
Rhea Reynolds leases commercial space from Redwood Bank for a retail store. The landlord fails to complete promised renovations, forcing cancellation of pre-sold holiday events. Rhea presents signed customer contracts and prior-year revenue records showing lost profits to a reasonable degree of certainty and recovers those damages.
The injured party must prove both the fact and the amount of loss on a preponderance of the evidence. Absolute precision is not required. Courts accept reasonable estimates supported by historical data, signed commitments, or industry benchmarks when the breach directly caused the loss.
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Yes. When leased premises are used for business, a tenant may recover lost anticipated profits if the landlord's default caused the loss, the profits were foreseeable at contracting, and the amount is proven with reasonable certainty through concrete evidence such as pre-lease commitments or occupancy records.
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Indefiniteness prevents contract formation when essential terms are too uncertain for a court to determine breach or fashion a remedy. Reasonable certainty permits enforcement when the parties intended to contract and a basis for remedy exists even if some terms remain open.
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No. The will must manifest intent to incorporate the writing and the writing must be identified with reasonable certainty at the time of execution. Extrinsic evidence may help resolve factual questions about presence and intent but cannot cure an identification that remains speculative.
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…The reasonableness and hence the constitutional validity of any chosen method may be defended on the ground that it is in itself reasonably certain to inform those affected, compare Hess v. Pawloski , 274 U. S. 352, with Wuchter v. Pizzutti , 276 U. S. 13, or, where conditions do not reasonably permit such notice, that the form…