02/04/2026
Doing nothing can be a legally meaningful decision.
In contract law, silence is generally not acceptance.
But in an ongoing business relationship, a failure to object can speak louder than words.
When parties have an established course of dealing, silence—or inaction—may be interpreted as assent, potentially binding you to terms you never explicitly agreed to.
The takeaway:
In business, not responding can be a response—and sometimes, a costly one.
Staying informed on how courts interpret conduct, course of dealing, and assent is critical.
