Rechtsgevolg

A legal consequence refers to the legal effect that a particular act, event or circumstance produces under the law. It may consist in the creation, modification or extinction of rights and obligations, as occurs upon the conclusion of a contract or the commission of a tort.

The concept is of fundamental importance in law, as it provides the link between factual conduct and the legal consequences that attach to it. Absent a legal consequence, an act would remain legally neutral and would produce no effect in legal dealings.

In practice, courts and practitioners frequently determine whether a legal consequence has arisen, for instance when assessing the validity of a will or the binding nature of a contract on the parties.