Contingency Contract Examples If you fail to secure the financing within the stipulated period, either party may terminate the contract without any legal consequences. Another simple example is a child who agrees with their parent that they would receive a new bicycle if they receive an A in a specific class.
The contract is characterized as "contingent" because the terms are not final and are based on certain events or conditions occurring. A contingent contract can also be viewed as protection against a future change of plans.
What Is a Contingency? A contingency is a potential occurrence of a negative event in the future, such as an economic recession, natural disaster, fraudulent activity, terrorist attack, or a pandemic.
A contingent contract is a legal agreement in which the terms and conditions only apply or take effect if a specific event occurs. Essentially, the parties involved agree to perform actions or obligations based on the occurrence or non-occurrence of a particular event in the future.
The most common contingency is the home inspection contingency. This condition on an offer states the home sale will only be finalized if the property passes a professional home inspection. In other words, buyers can walk away from a home sale if the home inspection turns up serious problems.
A contingency clause should clearly outline the conditions, how the conditions are to be fulfilled, and which party is responsible for fulfilling them. The clause should also provide a timeframe for what happens if the condition is not met.
The average contingency rate falls between 20-40%, with most lawyers charging around 33% to 35% of the total amount recovered in a case. The exact percentage can vary depending on the complexity of the case, the lawyer's experience, and the stage at which the case is resolved.