Editing Maxims of equity (section)

===Equity will not assist a volunteer ===
A volunteer is defined in equity as one who has not offered [[consideration]] for a benefit they have received or expect to receive.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Australian Law Dictionary 2nd ed|last=Mann|first=Trischa|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2013|isbn=9780195518511|location=Australia|pages=756}}</ref> For example, if a person A expects from past conversations and friendship to receive property under any will of person B, but person B dies before writing this into their will, person A, having not made any contribution to person B, will not be able to seek equity's aid.<ref>{{cite AustLII|HCA|12|1990|litigants=Corin v Patton |parallelcite=(1990) 169 [[Commonwealth Law Reports|CLR]] 540 |courtname=auto}}.</ref> 

This maxim is very important in restitution. [[Restitution]] developed as a series of writs called special [[assumpsit]], which were later additions in the courts of law, and were more flexible tools of recovery, based on equity. Restitution could provide means of recovery when people bestowed benefits on one another (such as giving money or providing services) according to contracts that would have been legally unenforceable.

However, pursuant to the equitable maxim, restitution does not allow a volunteer or "officious intermeddler" to recover. 

Those successfully pleading benefit from an [[estoppel]] (promise relied on to their detriment) will not be considered volunteers for the purpose of this maxim.