Tweddle v. Atkinson

Tweddle v. Atkinson is a legal case from 1861 that established a principle in contract law: only the parties directly involved in an agreement can enforce its terms. In this case, the fathers of the bride and groom agreed to provide a marriage settlement, but the couple themselves couldn't claim this benefit. The court held that since the couple wasn’t a party to the agreement, they couldn’t enforce it. This case solidified the rule that third parties, who aren’t part of a contract, cannot sue to benefit from or enforce that contract.