Force Majeure

Category: legal

A contract provision that relieves the parties from performing their contractual obligations when certain circumstances beyond their control arise.

Force Majeure is the "Act of God" clause. It covers wars, hurricanes, and pandemics. In commercial leases, tenants frequently invoke it to pause rent payments during disasters, while landlords fight to ensure it only excuses construction delays, not financial obligations.

Common Examples

• During the mandatory lockdown, the retail tenant attempted to invoke the force majeure clause to suspend their monthly rent obligations.
• Our attorneys strictly draft the force majeure clause to ensure that a natural disaster excuses building delays, but never excuses the payment of rent.