Legal Definitions - laches, estoppel by

Definition: Estoppel is a legal principle that prevents a person from asserting a claim or right that contradicts what they have said or done before or what has been legally established as true. It can also prevent the relitigation of issues. There are different types of estoppel, including equitable estoppel, estoppel by deed, and collateral estoppel.

Example: If a person sells a car to someone and later claims that they still own the car, they may be estopped from making that claim if they had previously signed a document stating that they sold the car. This is an example of estoppel by deed.

Explanation: In this example, the person's previous statement in the document they signed prevents them from asserting a claim that contradicts it. The principle of estoppel prevents them from denying the truth of their previous statement.