counterpart

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Counterpart is a copy or duplicate of a legal instrument. Where an instrument, especially a contract, is signed by the parties on different copies, one of the copies is the original while the others are counterparts. If the parties are in different locations, the contract is often signed by several identical counterparts, each signed by a party, and these written papers together constitute the contract.

The legal concept of counterpart originates from the transfer of land. In conveyance the instrument is usually made in multiple copies, including the original and counterparts. Later, counterparts were also used for copies of other legal instruments. Nowadays it is mostly replaced by duplicate or copy.

[Last updated in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]