论家事协议的拘束力——以英国判例为借鉴

Binding of Family Agreements: to Learn the Cases Practice of England

家庭成员间订立的协议能否作为法律上具有拘束力的合同,需要审查当事人行为时有无"创设法律关系的意图"。英国判例法实践认为:采用证据法上的推定技术,原则上推定家事协议其无创设法律关系的意图,故不成立合同,没有法律拘束力。但是,这种推定是可以被反证推翻的:如果有充足的证据说明家庭成员之间的协议是当事人意欲创设法律关系的意图的真实意思表示之结果,那么此类家事协议则具有法律拘束力。在家事协议的法律拘束力个案判定中,需要综合以下情况考量:协议的内容,尤其是义务性质是财产给付还是人身性行为的履行;协议订立的具体情境,当事人订立协议时的感情亲疏远近;当事人对协议有无信赖利益。

Whether or not the agreements concluded between family members can be as legally bind-ing contract needs to determine whether the parties had “intention to create legal relation”when they made the agreements.In England,case law uses the technical means of evidence law in principle pre-sumption that family agreement “without creating legal relationship intention”,so it is not a contract and has no legal binding.However,the presumption can be overthrown.If there is sufficient evidence to prove the agreement between the family members has parties’“intention to create legal relation”and the true meaning,it is exception.To determine the binding of family agreement,there should be a comprehensive consideration of the following circumstances：first,the content of the agreement,inparticular whether the obligation to pay is the property or personal nature fulfillment.Second,the par-ties’specific situations,emotional closeness when the parties enter the agreement,and third,wheth-er the parties have the reliance interests to the agreements.