REG Contracts · Updated November 2026
Statute of Frauds: What Is MYLEGS Actually Helping You Remember?
The mnemonic identifies categories. The fact pattern decides whether the writing rule and its exceptions apply.
MYLEGS
A common memory device covers categories involving Marriage, Year, Land, Executor, Goods, and Suretyship.
One-year rule
Focus on whether the agreement, by its terms, cannot be performed within the applicable one-year period, not whether performance is merely unlikely.
Sale of goods
UCC writing requirements can depend on price and available exceptions.
Suretyship
A promise to answer for another person's debt can fall within the writing requirement, subject to exceptions such as the main-purpose doctrine.
The takeaway
MYLEGS finds the category. The facts determine enforceability.
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FAQ
Does every contract involving money need a writing?
No.
Does likely two-year performance automatically trigger the rule?
Focus on whether performance within the required period is legally possible.
Are there exceptions?
Yes.