Prior to any intimate encounter, it’s important for both people to have consent from the other party. Only when it is clear that both people are interested in engaging in the activity should they continue.

But what you may be wondering is if that consent can ever be removed or withdrawn. Once someone gives you their consent to be involved in such an encounter, do you have that for a certain amount of time? Can they change their mind? Could this create a legal problem for you?

Someone can always withdraw consent

The truth is that consent can be withdrawn at any time, by either party, and it must be respected. Just because they initially agreed to the encounter does not mean that they have to agree for any side amount of time. Their consent lasts only for as long as they want it to.

This can cause some legal problems. They may claim that they didn’t give you consent or that they initially gave consent but then decided not to go through with the encounter. 

On the other hand, you may claim that you believed you had consent the entire time and you didn’t know that they felt you were doing anything wrong. In fact, you may feel that they’ve only changed their story after the encounter. They were fine with it when it occurred, but now they’re asking questions about whether or not it was permissible.

A situation like this is naturally going to make you feel very nervous because it can have such a big impact on your future, your reputation and your criminal record. It’s very important for you to understand exactly what legal options you have.