§ 24-3-7 [Parol Evidence to Prove Mistake]

When you sign a contract or deed, what's written down is usually the final word. But sometimes, a mistake gets made in the written document that does not reflect what both sides actually agreed to. This rule says that spoken words, emails, notes, or other outside evidence can be used in court to prove that a mistake happened in the written document.

This is an exception to the normal rule that outside evidence cannot be used to change what a written contract says. If someone can show proof that the writing contains an error, a judge can consider that outside evidence to fix or explain the mistake.