Introduction Contract Law (phase 1)
Not every agreement constitutes a legally binding contract. Below you find a number of situations. For each
situation decide, whether you think it is „a (legally non-binding) agreement“, a „legally binding contract“ or
„no agreement“.
Read each situation, think, and then answer the quiz in Moodle (the quiz is anonymous).
1. Student M., 25 years old, promises his parents to help them clean up their cellar on one of the next
weekends. non
2. N., self employed, 28 years old, agrees to do cut the shrubs in the garden of X. N and X agree on a
lump sum of 250.-- as compensation and fix the date of the garden work. legally binding
3. O., self employed, 45 years old, agrees to drive the car for Y, Z, and W, all of them self employed and
between 30 and 50 years old; the trio needs the services of O. during a jewellery store robbery on
Friday evening. O. agrees to 10% of the loot as compensation for his services. non
4. P., 8 years old, agrees to trade his Teddy Bear for a chocolate bar. The counter-party is his school
mate R., also 8 years old. non
5. H., 18 years old, owns a pair of guinea pigs. Besides eating, running around, and squealing they also
procreate. He calls his friend J., owner of a pet shop, and tells him: „You can have the young guinea
pigs for free.“ common: non; civil: binding
6. A friend of A., which is living on her own in a house and is 75 years old, finds an old painting
belonging to A. while helping her cleaning up the attic. The friend, 58 years old, likes the painting and
asks A. if she is willing to sell it. A. considers the question during several days and finally gives her
answer as: „Yes“. legally binding
7. B., 37 years old, puts his old motorbike on ricardo for 1'000.-- SFR. Q. sees the offer and immediately
accepts the price. legally binding
8. C. is very much in love with T. He promises her: „If you marry me, I will treat you like a queen, and I
will fulfill all your wishes.“ She agrees. non
9. E., owner of a stationary shop, orders 5'000 pencils type HB, assorted colours, at a total price of
500.-- from K., who runs a whole sale company. After receiving the delivery, E. declines to pay and
insists to send back the batch of pencils, because there are no yellow vanrnished pencils enclosed,
just black, blue and red. legally binding
1/2
Introduction Contract Law (phase 2)
1. After learning the correct answers regarding the situations 1. - 9- above, try to formulate essential
aspects, which help you to separate mere agreements from contracts.
2. Why is it that the law does not recognize all agreements as contracts?
2/2
