Question

Pretend you are a producer and want to start a film company. You have a friend with an incredible life story. You have the idea to write a script based on your friend’s life that you hope to finance and produce by your company. You see a lot of potential in TV, film and maybe even mass media/video games. Other companies have approached your friend in the past and you know he has turned down offers for $10,000. Your friend is a bit of a drinker and suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s.

What do you need to do to form a valid contract? What specific terms should you include in your offer? Are there any ways your friend could try to avoid the contract later?

Answer 1

In order to form a valid contract with the friend who is in the initial stages of Alzheimer’s disease and has some drinking problem, one must understand that the individual alone is not in a state to make a valid contract. Thus, to make a valid contract with him, one has to contact with his immediate family to who are his legal guardian, such as wife or children.

You must include all the necessary terms and conditions along with detailed description about the formalities you have taken to involve the individual's guardian, his/her relationship, address and other contact details. Further, the contract must also include the non-disclosure of confidential information as sought by your friend whose life's story would be used to write a script.

Yes, there could be a way. The friend would deny having trust in the guardian and his/her judgement and refuse the contract later by saying that he was misguided.