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contract that tries to influence these representatives to use their positionsfor private gain is unenforceable. This rule also applies to private personswho are in positions of trust.Agreements Interfering with MarriageThe law encourages marriages and protects family relationships.Contracts that discourage, harm, or interfere with good family relationshipsare illegal, and as a result, are unenforceable in the courts. Forinstance, if Mr. Novak promises to give his daughter, Juleanne, $1,000if she never gets married, the contract would be void. The same wouldbe true if, once Juleanne were married, Mr. Novak promised her $1,000to leave her husband.Effect of IllegalityIn general, a court will not aid either party to an illegal contract.Instead, it will leave the parties where they placed themselves. Neitherparty can enforce the agreement, nor can they receive aid from the court.However, an exception occurs when the parties are not equally at fault.In such cases the court may aid people who are less at fault in recoveringany money or property they may have lost.Occasionally there may be a case in which only part of the contractis illegal. If the legal part can be separated from the illegal part, the legalpart can be enforced. If the legal part cannot be separated from the illegalpart, however, the entire agreement will be void.On April 14, 1912,the RMS Titanic struckan iceberg offNewfoundland, Canada,and sunk. At the time,the Titanic was thelargest and mostluxurious ship ever built,and many deemed itunsinkable. As a resultof the Titanic disaster,ships around the worldwere required to carryenough lifeboats foreveryone on board.The U.S. Coastguardalso established theInternational Ice Patrol,which continues tothis day.Reviewing What You Learned1. What is the legal doctrine of public policy?2. What contracts are considered to be contraryto public policy?3. What types of contracts involve anunreasonable restraint of trade?4. What is a restrictive covenant?Critical Thinking ActivityPhilosophy of Law What is the legalphilosophy behind public policy as a groundsfor law?Legal Skills in ActionRestrictive Employment Covenant YourUncle Larry has just been offered a job at acomputer software company. His employer hasasked him to sign a restrictive covenant thatwould not permit him to work for anothersoftware company located anywhere in theUnited States for the next seven years. Write aletter to your uncle telling him whether thisrestrictive employment covenant would beupheld by the court.Chapter 9: Legality 199