Signing A Contract While Drunk

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A man woke up after quite the night at a Phoenix strip club where, according to the credit card receipts, he racked up over $44,000 in "services". He has sued the club.

For its part, the club is probably going to point out that the receipts, bore not only his signature but also his thumbprints. Tough evidence to refute. No, honey, wasn't me at that club. Someone must have stolen my card. And forged my signature. And gotten my thumbprint off the finger I accidentally left somewhere.

Actually, that's not the argument he's making. He doesn't claim he wasn't there, but that he was too drunk to knowingly agree to those prices.

So if a person signs a contract while drunk, can that contact be enforced? In general, the answer is yes.

Courts have occasionally refused to enforce contracts made while drunk in cases in which, as this gentleman alleges, the other party knew he was drunk and took advantage of his intoxication. But that's rare.

Courts are usually not very sympathetic to people who voluntarily got drunk and then signed contracts and one wonders how a gentleman's club in particular could stay in business if they could only charge sober patrons.