Memorandum of Intent (MOI)

Also known as Confirmation of Intent and Letter of Intent. A half way house to the signing of a full contract. Its legal status is rather unclear and its value lies largely in how it is viewed by the parties concerned. It will normally be a fairly brief document setting out the principal framework of the contract and specifying a date by which it is expected that a full contract will be completed. An MOI will often have a relatively brief validity, but in some cases they have served to govern active operations over a period of years. Also known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Heads of Agreement (HoA).