informal agreements
Deals without paperwork
Informal agreements are understandings between parties that lack the formality of written contracts or legal documentation.
They rely on trust, handshakes, or verbal commitments rather than enforceable terms: We had an informal agreement that she'd handle weekends.
Such arrangements work well among people who trust each other but offer little protection if disputes arise.
- good faithSincere, honest intent
- word of honorPromise on one's integrity
- handshakeMutual palm-gripping gesture
- unwritten ruleImplicit behavioral expectation
- trustConfidence in another
wink and a nod · partnership · back room deal · side deal · pinky swear · honor system · collaboration · reciprocity · blood oath · precedent · mutual aid · promise · under the table · off the record · custom · folkways · social norm · implied consent
- institutional knowledgebest practices, procedures, protocols, workflows, institutional memory
- gray areasgray areas, murky waters, fuzzy boundaries, ambiguities, fine lines
- Roman LawRoman law, Corpus Juris Civilis, Justinian Code, Twelve Tables, Digest
informal agreementsbinding contracts
Enforceable formal obligations
formal contracts · written contracts · legal agreements · notarized documents · contractual obligations