Glossary

Plain-language definitions for terms you'll encounter in casual agreements, arrangements, and relationship boundaries.

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Arrangement: A mutual understanding between two or more people about roles, expectations, and boundaries in a relationship or interaction. Unlike a formal contract, arrangements are often informal and rely on good faith.

Boundary: A clearly communicated limit around what is and isn't acceptable in an arrangement. Boundaries can cover physical, emotional, financial, and communication topics.

Casual Agreement: A non-legally-binding understanding between parties that outlines expectations, boundaries, or terms of a relationship or arrangement. Often written but not requiring legal formality.
Clause: A specific provision or section within an agreement that addresses a particular topic, such as confidentiality, finances, or termination.
Coercion: The act of using threats, pressure, or manipulation to force someone into an agreement or action. Agreements entered under coercion are generally unenforceable and ethically wrong.
Confidentiality Clause: A section of an agreement where parties promise not to share certain private information with others. Common in arrangements where discretion matters.
Consideration: In contract law, something of value exchanged between parties (money, services, promises). For a contract to be legally enforceable, consideration is typically required from both sides.
Cool-Down Period: A specified time after a conflict or decision where parties agree not to take drastic actions. Allows emotions to settle before making changes to an arrangement.

Discretion Agreement: An informal or semi-formal understanding between parties to keep the details of their arrangement private. Often overlaps with confidentiality clauses.
Dispute Resolution: The process or method agreed upon for handling disagreements. In casual agreements, this might be a conversation protocol rather than formal mediation.
Duration Clause: A provision specifying how long an arrangement will last, including whether it renews automatically or requires explicit continuation.

Enforceability: Whether an agreement can be upheld by a court. Casual agreements are generally not enforceable in the legal sense, but understanding enforceability helps people write clearer terms.
Exclusivity Clause: A term specifying that parties will not enter similar arrangements with others during the agreement period. Common in dating and mentorship contexts.
Exit Clause: A provision that outlines how either party can end the arrangement, including notice periods, conditions, and any wind-down steps.
Expectation Setting: The process of clearly communicating what each party expects from the arrangement, including roles, responsibilities, frequency of contact, and goals.

Financial Boundary: A clear limit around money-related aspects of an arrangement, such as who pays for what, allowance amounts, gift expectations, or shared expense splits.

Good Faith: An honest intention to deal fairly with the other party. Casual agreements rely heavily on good faith since legal enforcement is typically limited.
Governing Law: The jurisdiction whose laws would apply if a dispute arose. In casual agreements, this is mostly theoretical but worth understanding for more formal arrangements.

Implicit Terms: Unwritten expectations that parties assume are part of the arrangement. A major source of conflict — making implicit terms explicit is a core goal of casual agreements.
Informed Consent: Agreement given by someone who fully understands what they're agreeing to, including risks, alternatives, and implications. Essential for any ethical arrangement.

Mediation: A dispute resolution method where a neutral third party helps the disputing parties reach an agreement. More formal than a conversation but less formal than arbitration or court.
Mutual Agreement: A term indicating that both parties have agreed to the stated terms voluntarily. Changes to the arrangement should also require mutual agreement.

NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement): A formal legal document preventing parties from sharing confidential information. More binding than a casual confidentiality clause but may be excessive for informal arrangements.
No-Contact Clause: A term specifying conditions under which parties agree not to contact each other, often used after ending an arrangement.
Notice Period: The amount of advance warning required before ending an arrangement or making a significant change to its terms.

Obligation: Something a party has committed to doing as part of the arrangement. Distinguishing obligations from preferences helps prevent misunderstandings.

Prenuptial Agreement: A formal legal agreement between partners before marriage that outlines financial and property arrangements. More formal than casual agreements but shares structural similarities.
Privacy Clause: A provision addressing how personal information and the existence of the arrangement itself will be handled. Covers both digital and in-person privacy.

Recital: An introductory section in an agreement that provides context, such as who the parties are and why the agreement exists. Sets the tone without creating binding terms.
Renewal: The process of extending an arrangement beyond its original duration. Can be automatic or require explicit agreement from both parties.
Revocation: The act of withdrawing consent or canceling a provision within an agreement. Important: parties should always be able to revoke consent for personal matters.

Safe Word: A pre-agreed signal (not always a literal word) that either party can use to immediately pause or stop an activity or conversation. Commonly used in arrangements involving power dynamics.
Scope: The range of topics and situations covered by an agreement. Clearly defining scope prevents disagreements about what the arrangement does and doesn't cover.
Severability: A principle (or clause) stating that if one part of an agreement is found to be invalid, the rest of the agreement remains in effect.
Sugar Arrangement: A relationship dynamic where one party provides financial support or mentorship while the other provides companionship or other agreed-upon benefits. Terms vary widely.

Termination: The formal ending of an arrangement. A good agreement specifies how termination works, including notice requirements and any post-termination obligations.
Terms of Engagement: The specific rules and expectations governing how parties interact within the arrangement. Covers communication frequency, meeting schedules, and behavioral expectations.

Unconscionability: A legal concept where a contract is so unfair to one party that a court would refuse to enforce it. Even in casual agreements, severely one-sided terms are a red flag.

Voluntary Agreement: An agreement entered into freely by all parties, without coercion or undue influence. Voluntariness is a foundational requirement for ethical arrangements.

Waiver: The act of giving up a right or claim. In casual agreements, waivers should be explicit and specific rather than broad blanket waivers.
Written Agreement: An arrangement documented in writing, whether digital or physical. Writing things down reduces misunderstandings compared to purely verbal agreements.