Parties to a contract should be competent: of age of consent, sound mind, and not disqualified by a law to which they are truly subject. A living man or woman has natural capacity. An artificial person has only the capacity the law assigns—and no living mind of its own.
Core elements
- Offer — a clear proposal of terms.
- Acceptance — unqualified agreement to those terms (or a counter-offer).
- Consideration — value exchanged; something given for something received.
- Mutual assent — meeting of minds on the same bargain.
- Lawful object — the purpose must not be illegal or against public justice in substance.
- Form — some agreements must be written; all should be clear enough to enforce.
Presentments often look like bills but function as offers. Signing, paying, appearing, or arguing without reservation can be spun as acceptance. Conditional acceptance upon verification keeps honour while refusing unverified claims.
Agency matters: if you mark a document as authorised agent for a named fiction, you signal that you are not the principal debtor. If you mark it as the NAME alone, you invite joinder.
See Null and Void Contracts, Your Consent, Conditional Acceptance.