Reasonable Time Law and Legal Definition
Reasonable time refers to the amount of time that is fairly required to do whatever is required to be done, conveniently under the permitted circumstances.
In contracts, reasonable time refers to the time needed to do what a contract requires to be done, based on subjective circumstances. If the parties entering the contract do not fix a time for performance, the law will infer a reasonable time within which it should be done.
Under commercial law, Uniform Commercial Code UCC 2-206(2) requires that acceptance of an offer be made within a "reasonable time" if no time is specified.
Generally the reasonableness or unreasonableness of time used or taken by a party are made subject of judicial review. Reasonable time is interpreted by the court in the in light of the nature, purpose, and circumstances of each case. Other factors considered by the court while determining the unreasonable delay in performance include prior dealings between the parties, business routine or custom within the trade, and whether there were any objective manifestations of expectation expressed between the parties.