Q: If you are exchanging something of significant value with someone, such as your labor or services, intellectual property, or material goods, you should have a contract in place. For many people, common situations that involve contracts include purchasing a home, selling or buying a car, or beginning employment. Other common situations could include hiring a construction crew to remodel your house, offering your services for a certain period of time, or publishing a creative work, such as a book. Contracts have three essential elements: an offer, an acceptance of that offer, and sufficient "consideration," or what each party will "get" out of the contract. The contract should be written in such a way that the parties involved clearly understand the contract without an attorney to interpret it. This will help all parties be clear about their obligations. A contract also protects everyone involved in case the contract is breached or unfulfilled. You should only form a contract with someone who has the authority to carry out the contract (like a company's owner or CEO). Furthermore, a contract will not be legally valid unless everyone involved is an adult with the legal ability, or "capacity," to enter into a contract. Capacity is usually determined by a person's age and mental competence. The following considerations should be taken into account. In almost all cases, a contract is not legally valid unless the parties involved are at least 18 years of age. Look up the laws in your state if you think your case might be an exception. If a minor wishes to enter into a contract, a guardian may, in some circumstances, do so on their behalf. In most states, an emancipated minor can enter into a contract as if he or she were an adult. All parties must have the mental capacity to fully understand the contract. Even an adult may not be capable of understanding what the contract requires him or her to do. For example, a person with a severe intellectual disability might be unable to understand his or her legal rights and obligations. This person could not enter into a legally binding contract. A contract is usually, but not always, void if either party is intoxicated or otherwise mentally impaired when the contract is signed. A contract is also void if it is entered under duress or coercion. For example, if a robber is holding you at gunpoint and you verbally agree to go to your bank and give him/her all your money, this is not a valid contract because both parties did not willingly enter into the agreement. In a legal contract, something of value has to be exchanged for something else of value. This benefit is called the "consideration." It can be services, cash, goods, intellectual property, or the promise to exchange one of these items. The terms of the contract must be clear to be enforceable. For example, you could write a contract with these terms: "Sujata agrees to sell her car to Jack for $5,500 on December 13, 2014." It is clear who is promising to do what, and when it is to be done. Both parties agree that the exchange is fair. However, you could not write a contract with the following terms: "Shao agrees to do something, to be determined later, for Sue in exchange for Sue's payment of whatever money she has at that point." These terms are unclear; there is no certainty about what will be done, when it will be done, or what will be given in return. This contract is unenforceable, even if both parties have agreed to it. The consideration should be adequate in a fair contract. For example, if Joan promises to pay Dev $25,000 for a house worth $150,000, this is unlikely to be considered adequate consideration. If Joan promises to pay Dev $140,000 for a house worth $150,000, however, this would likely be considered adequate consideration because it is close to the real value of the object. For a contract to be legal, an offer must be made and accepted. Before you write up a contract, all parties should have the same general idea about what the contract will stipulate; this is usually in the form of "if X happens, then Y will occur." In legal terms, this is known as a "meeting of the minds," or mutual agreement. Having a discussion about the terms beforehand saves time, because if the information in the contract is not acceptable to one of the parties, it will have to be revised. For example, your contract may say "Mr. Smith will sell Ms. Brown his 2012 Toyota Prius in exchange for $12,000." The price and details of the exchange were likely agreed to prior to the contract being written. All parties must mutually assent to the terms of the contract. This means that they agree to the contract without being forced or coerced to do so. All parties should be treated fairly and honestly. All parties should do everything they can to abide by the contract's requirements.
A: Determine whether you need a contract. Be aware of the basic requirements of all contracts. Make sure all parties are legally able to participate. Plan to exchange something of value. Ensure all parties are in agreement. Come to an agreement in good faith.

Q: If you can manage to grab a large object, such as a plank or a piece of rafter, you'll greatly increase your chances of survival. The object will absorb some of the impact when you land, taking a little stress off of your bones. If you're falling next to a building, or off a cliff in the wilderness, do your best to break your fall into segments by hitting a ledge, a lower cliff, a tree, or another object. This breaks up the momentum of your fall and divides it into several shorter falls, which gives you a much better chance of surviving. If your knees and elbows are locked and your muscles are rigid, the impact of the fall will do more harm to your vital organs. Don't hold yourself stiff. Do your best to relax your body so that when you hit the ground your body is more easily able to take the impact. One way to remain (relatively) calm is to focus on performing the steps that lead to greater survival rates. Stay aware of your body, moving your arms and legs to make sure they aren't locked. Possibly nothing is more important to surviving a fall (or simpler to do) than bending your knees. Research has shown that having one's knees bent at impact can reduce the magnitude of impact forces 36-fold. However, do not bend them too far - only keep a slight bend so they are not locked. No matter what height you fall from, you should always try to land on your feet. Landing feet-first concentrates the impact force on a small area, allowing your feet and legs to absorb the worst of the blow. If you are in any other position, try to right yourself before you hit the ground. Fortunately, attaining the feet-first position seems to be an instinctive reaction. Keep your feet and legs tightly together so that both your feet hit the ground at the same time. Land on the balls of your feet. Point your toes slightly down before impact so that you will land on the balls of your feet. This will allow your lower body to more effectively absorb the impact. Once you land on your feet, you will fall either to the side, front or back. Try to avoid falling on your back. Falling to the side is statistically best. If you can't manage that, try to fall forward instead, breaking your fall with your arms. When you fall from a great height onto land, you will usually bounce. Some people who survive the initial impact (often with a feet-first landing) suffer a fatal injury on their second impact. You will most likely be unconscious when you bounce. Cover your head with your arms by placing your arms on the sides of your head with your elbows facing forward (and projecting in front of your face), and your fingers laced behind your head or neck. This covers a large portion of your head. With all the adrenaline flowing in response to your flight, you may not even feel injured upon landing. Even if you are not visibly injured, you may have sustained fractures or internal injuries that must be treated immediately. No matter how you're feeling, get to a hospital as quickly as possible.
A:
Grab an object on your way down. Try to break your fall into parts. Relax your body. Bend your knees. Land feet-first. Try to fall to the side. Protect your head for when you bounce. Get medical help immediately.