Let’s look at this scenario: you have found a close bond with a friend, to the extent that you cannot stay an hour or a day without hearing from them. You guys decided to sign a friendship contract to stay connected and hear from each other every minute, hour, and throughout the day.
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However, after signing the friendship contract, you start to cut communication with your friend, and all of a sudden, you ghost him or her. This scenario might sound a bit bizarre, but in this era where personal relationships often end because of breaks in communication, friendship contracts have become a common social phenomenon.
Due to the rise in friendship contracts, the question arises: Is it illegal to ghost someone if you signed a friendship contract?
This article will examine whether a friendship contract is legally binding and the implications of ghosting in a friendship contract.
What is a friendship contract?
A friendship contract is a written or verbal agreement detailing expectations and responsibilities between friends. These contracts may include the following:
- The number of times friends must check up on each other
- Terms of emotional support
- Availability in emergency situations
- Loyalty conditions
- How to resolve conflict
- Grounds for ending the conflict
Most friendship contracts are kept private, informal, and not intended to be enforceable. However, in some cases the parties may pen their official signature on the contract as though it is a legal contract.
What does ghosting mean legally?
Ghosting is the sudden cutting of communication with someone without explanation. Generally, ghosting is considered emotionally harmful and rude. While there is no law that bans ghosting irrespective of the type of relationship, it can have legal implications if it involves the following:
- Breach of Contract
- Causes emotional harm
- Fraud or misrepresentation
- Abuses before or after the ghosting
But in a friendship contract the ghosting becomes illegal if the contract can be enforced in court.
Can you sue for breach of a friendship contract?
You might be surprised to learn that several friendship-like agreements have ended up in court, but most were dismissed for lacking legal merit.
If you sign a friendship contract and the other party ghosts you, you can only sue for breach of contract if:
- The contract involved financial transactions.
- The ghosting led to reputational or business harm.
- The contract includes remedies for breach of contract that are legally enforceable.
The cases of Trevey v Grubb (1982) and Simkins v Pays (1955) are examples where social agreement became legally binding because it involved financial contributions. In both cases, the court stated that each party contributed to the purchase of the lottery, so they were entitled to have a share in the winning ticket. Unless your friendship contract has any of the above-listed elements, it cannot be enforced by the court for breach of contract.
In short, even if the friendship contract is signed, unless the friendship contract meets all of the requirements of a valid contract, it cannot be enforced by law.
Can you sue for breach of a friendship contract?
You might be surprised to learn that several friendship-like agreements have ended up in court, but most were dismissed for lacking legal merit.
If you sign a friendship contract and the other party ghosts you, you can only sue for breach of contract if:
- The contract involved financial transactions.
- The ghosting led to reputational or business harm.
- The contract includes remedies for breach of contract that are legally enforceable.
The cases of Trevey v Grubb (1982) and Simkins v Pays (1955) show a situation where social agreement became legally binding because it involved financial contributions. In both cases, the court held that each party contributed to the purchase of the lottery, so they were entitled to have a share in the winning ticket. Unless your friendship contract has any of the above-listed elements, it cannot be enforced by the court for breach of contract.
Can you sue someone for ghosting you if it caused emotional damage?
You can only sue for emotional damages caused by someone for ghosting you if you can prove the following:
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress (IIED): the person intentionally engaged in extreme and outrageous conduct that caused you emotional distress.
- Negligent infliction of emotional distress: The person caused you emotional harm due to her negligence.
- Breach of contract: When there is a valid contract with a clause that breaking the contract could lead to claims including damages for emotional distress.
However, this is difficult to prove in a friendship contract because they do not normally include such clauses.
What if the friendship is also a business partnership?
If your friendship contract is linked to a business commitment, like running a website, blog, startup, social media platform, or YouTube channel, then ghosting your friend in such a friendship contract can lead to legal redress.
Under partnership law in most jurisdictions around the world, ghosting a partner can lead to breach of contract and can result in serious legal actions.
Alternative to lawsuit
Instead of seeking legal redress when a friend ghosts you after signing a friendship contract, here are alternative ways to address such an issue:
- Meditation
- counselling
- Self-care and support networks
FAQs
| Question | Legal answer |
| Is ghosting illegal? | No, ghosting is not against the law |
| Are friendship contracts legally binding? | No, friendship contracts are not legally binding |
| Can you sue someone for ghosting you if it causes emotional damages? | You can only sue for emotional damages when the action is deemed extreme and outrageous |
| Can you sue for breach of contract if someone ghosts you in a business partnership? | Yes, you can take legal action for breach of contract when business partnership |
Conclusion
As of 2025, it is not illegal to ghost someone if you signed a friendship contract, even if it caused you emotional damage. This is because most friendship contracts do not meet the requirements of a valid contract.
However, if the friendship contract is linked to a business commitment or involves a financial obligation, ghosting the other party may result in a breach of contract with serious legal remedies.
While ghosting a friend is not illegal, you may be causing emotional damage and hurting someone. Let me end with this biblical adage: “Always be your brother’s keeper.”
