What legal requirement is established by the Statute of Frauds?

The Statute of Frauds is a legal doctrine that requires certain types of contracts, including those for the sale of real estate, to be in writing in order to be enforceable. This requirement is intended to prevent fraud and misunderstandings related to agreements. The rationale behind this statute is to ensure that there is clear and tangible evidence of the terms of the agreement, thus protecting all parties involved by reducing the likelihood of disputes over the agreement's existence or its terms.

In the context of real estate, requiring that documents be in writing not only allows for a clear record of the agreement but also provides a mechanism for accountability. For instance, this ensures all essential terms are documented, such as the parties involved, the property in question, and the agreed-upon terms of the sale or lease, which all helps to clarify the intentions of the parties and safeguard their interests.

The other options do not align with the legal tenets established by the Statute of Frauds. For instance, oral contracts for real estate, while sometimes having validity in other contexts, are specifically invalidated for real estate purposes under this statute unless they meet the writing requirement. Similarly, while recording real estate transactions is important for establishing public notice, it is not demanded by the Statute