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.
Contingencies. Contingent contracts, like contingencies themselves, cannot occur unless a certain condition is met. For instance, the sale of a home cannot take place without a prior home inspection, and an aircraft cannot leave the hangar without a thorough walk-around inspection by the pilot.
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.
An example of a contingent liability that a company should record is possible product warranty costs. This refers to the potential expense a company may incur if they need to repair or replace a product that is covered under warranty. Another example is the threat of a lawsuit by a competitor.
Example of a Contingency Contract One straightforward example might be a child who agrees with their parent that if they get an A in a particular class, they will get a new bicycle. Of course, the contract may be verbal, and it may be between family members.
Bilateral contracts are agreements in which both parties exchange mutual promises to perform certain obligations, making this type of contract the most common in business transactions.