Contingent contracts occur when parties fail to reach agreement during negotiations. They are characterized by conditional terms that depend on future events or conditions. Everyday examples include an employee being allowed to work from home after one year on the job if reports are submitted on time, and a teenager having privileges if rules like curfew and respectful behavior are followed but losing them if rules are violated. For a contingent contract to be effective, the objectives of both parties must be aligned, the promise depends on an uncertain future event outside either party's control, and the terms should be formally written with legal input and means of measurement agreed upon.