Describe the three main purposes of the statute of frauds, as discussed in the text.

First, the statute attempts to ease contractual negotiations by requiring sufficiently reliable evidence to prove the existence and specific terms of a contract. The second main purpose of the statute of frauds is to prevent unreliable oral evidence from interfering with a contractual relationship. The third main purpose of the statute of frauds is to prevent parties from entering into contracts with which they do not agree.