ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Canadian contract law

Canadian contract law is like a game. Just like how you have to follow the rules of a game to play it, in Canadian contract law there are rules you have to follow when you make an agreement with someone.

A contract is an agreement that shows what two or more people have promised to do for each other. For example, you may promise to do someone's yard work and they promise to pay you for it.

To make a contract in Canada, you have to follow four basic steps:

1. Offer: Someone has to offer something. That might be saying "I'll give you $5 for that toy," or "I'll mow your lawn for $20."

2. Acceptance: The person who is being offered the thing has to accept the offer. They might say "okay, I'll sell you the toy for $5," or "yes, you can mow my lawn for $20."

3. Consideration: Both people need to get something out of the deal. In the toy example, you get $5 and the person gets the toy. In the lawn-mowing example, you get $20 and the person gets a nicely mowed lawn.

4. Intent: Both people have to be serious about the deal. They can't just be joking around or teasing each other.

Once you have a contract, both people have to follow the rules of the contract. If one person doesn't keep their promise, the other person can take them to court to make them keep their promise, or to get money for what they were promised.

The court will look at the contract to see what the two people agreed to do for each other, and then decide who should get what.

So, Canadian contract law is like a game with rules that you have to follow. If you don't follow the rules, you might get in trouble. But if you do follow the rules, you can make promises with people and get what you want in return.