Free Companionship Contract

Contract of Free Companionship

Let it be known that there is no such thing as marriage on Gor, but there is the institution known as Free Companionship which is the nearest correspondent. Such a relationship is not entered upon lightly and they are normally only sundered by death.

This legal document, drawn up by {Name of Person/Scribe} of the city of {City Name}, on this {Date}, serves as a contract of companionship between the following parties:

{Free man's name, Home Stone, caste, and House}
&
{Free woman's name, Home Stone, caste, and House}

The following contract of companionship may be severed only in the following of cases: death, slavery, not renewed, or by the breaking of the terms that have been set down in the contract below. Let it be known that any breaking of the written terms in this contract will result in the immediate disolvement of the companionship contract. Any and all written penalties shall instantly apply. Legal representation, via the Caste of Scribes, shall oversee and enforce the application of all and any terms if such an event occurs. If the free man named in this contract is of the Caste of Warriors, the enforcing of terms will be exercised by the Caste of Scribes in conjunction with the Caste of Warriors of the free man's Home Stone. Guilt incurred by either party of this companionship contract shall, in all due fairness, be investigated. Testimony will be gathered and evidence studied by the Caste of Scribes and the ruling Caste of Warriors present of the free man's Home Stone in order to reach a fair and just ruling under the governing body of Gorean law.

I, {Name of Scribe}, of the Caste of Scribes do hereby attest that both parties {Name of free man and free woman} are resolute in entering into this Free Companionship Contract of their own free will and are of sound mind.

1. Companionship Price
{It is here that the Scribe will verify one of the two cases, as indicated below by the examples provided.}

Example One:
The companionship price for {Free woman's name} is {List amount of coins and/or properties to be named}. It is to be paid by {Free man's name} to the {Free woman's name} {Free woman's father/legal guardian's name and caste} of the city of {City name}.

Example Two:
{Free woman's name} has no known living relatives or legal guardian to whom a companionship price would be paid; or her previous companionship/s cancels the required companionship price. If this is agreeable to {Free man's name} entering upon the companionship, he signs here:
{Free man's signature}

2. Dowry
{It is here that the Scribe will verify one of the two cases, as indicated below by the examples provided.}

Example One:
{Free man's name} entering into this companionship has received a dowry for {Free woman's name} in the amount of {List amount of coins and/or properties to be named}. This dowry is nonrefundable to {Free woman's name}'s family should the companionship contract be dissolved for whatever reasons.
{Free man's signature; to verify receipt of dowry}

Example Two:
Due to {Free woman's name}'s past status {Reasons -previous companionship/s or by chance if the free woman is a former slave, etc.} there will be no dowry for the companionship. This has been deemed acceptable to {Free man's name} entering upon the companionship contract with her.
{Free man's signature}

3. The Personal Assets and Holdings of {Free man's name}
I, {Free man's name} of the Caste of {Caste name} do hereby attest that these are my sole assets, possessions, and holdings as of the date on this companionship contract.

{Please list any/all coins, assets; which include ships, properties, houses, businesses, slaves, and/or other animals, etc.}

The above mentioned coins and assets shall remain the sole and legal property of {Free man's name}. They may be shared freely at his own discretion with {Free woman's name} during the length of their companionship.
{Free man's signature}
{Free woman's signature}

Should the companionship contract be dissolved for any reason, other than death of {Free man's name}, these coins and assets remain the sole property of {Free man's name}
{Initials of both the free man and free woman}

Should the companionship contract be terminated because of the death of {Free man's name}, his last will and testament will be enacted by the executor of his will. It is the executor who will distribute his coins and assets.
{Free man's signature}

If by chance there is no will at the time of death, all of {Free man's name} coins and assets will be transferred to his children. If there are no children, then the coins and assets will be given to {Free woman's name} listed in this companionship contract, if the death happens to occur during the length of the companionship.
{Free man's signature}
}Free woman's signature}

4. The Personal Assets and Holdings of {Free woman's name}
I, {Free woman's name} of the Caste of {Caste name} do hereby attest that these are my sole assets, possessions, and holdings as of the date on this companionship contract.

{Please list any/all coins, assets; which include ships, properties, houses, businesses, slaves, and/or other animals, etc.}

The above mentioned coins and assets shall remain the sole and legal property of {Free woman's name}. They may be shared freely at her own discretion with {Free man's name} during the length of their companionship.
{Free woman's signature}
{Free man's signature}

Should the companionship contract be dissolved for any reason, other than death, enslavement, or by breaking the terms of the contract by {Free woman's name}, these coins and assets remain the sole property of {Free woman's name}
{Initials of both the free woman and free man}

By chance, if {Free woman's name} be legally enslaved under Gorean law by a man that is not her free companion during the length of this companionship, and/all coins and assets owned by her will be granted to the male who enslaves her. This property exchange cannot be overturned by {Free man's name she is companioned to} except by a challenge of combat to the man who has enslaved her. If {Free woman's name} was legally enslaved, the ruling for enslavement cannot be overturned by any court. Legal enslavement of {Free woman's name} can only be appealed by her family's male members or by her free companion, in a Gorean court of law; typically the court of the Ubar/Administrator in the city where the enslavement occurred.

Should, by chance, that {Free woman's name} be legally enslaved by her free companion, {Free man's name}, during their companionship, then Gorean law shall apply to any/all coins and assets will be defaulted to {Free man's name}. Let it be known that due to enslavement, the default coins and assets cannot be overturned in any court of law.
{Free man's signature}
{Free woman's signature}

Should the companionship contract be terminated because of the death of {Free woman's name} during the time of their companionship, any/all listed coins and assets shall become the sole property of {Free man's name} and any children that might have been born of their union together. This also includes any previous companionships that {Free woman's name} might have had which produced offspring; thus no children will be excluded in the dividing of coins and assets of their deceased mother.
{Free man's signature}
{Free woman's signature}

5. Assets and Coins Acquired During the Companionship Contract
I, {Free man's name} do hereby attest that any profits from businesses, assets, coins, and any properties/holdings which I acquire during the length of this companionship contract {shall/shall not; state here what the man's intentions are} be shared with my free companion {Free woman's name}.

I, {Free woman's name} do hereby attest that any profits from businesses, assets, coins and any properties/holdings which I acquire during the length of this companionship contract {shall/shall not; state here what the woman's intentions are} be shared with my free companion {Free man's name}.

I, {Name of Scribe}, who has prepared this contract for {Free man's name} and {Free woman's name} have advised both parties that should the contract be severed for any reason other than death, enslavement, or the breaking of the terms listed in said contract, the shared and acquired assets and coins gained during the length of the companionship shall be appropriated as follows:
-Any assets and/or coins {Free man's name} has acquired during the companionship through his own endeavors shall become his sole property.
-Any assets and/or coins {Free woman's name} has acquired during the companionship through her own endeavors shall become her sole property.
-Any jointly owned assets, which can be verified via a certification of ownership as belonging to both {Free man's name} and {Free woman's name} must be divided equally, or an agreement must be attained by both parties as to how it will continue to be shared by both or liquidated into coins to be equally distributed amongst both parties. Any disputes concerning jointly owned assets and its proper distribution shall be settled by the highest ranking official of {Free man's name}'s Home Stone.
{Free man's signature}
{Free woman's signature}

6. Custody of Children
The legal custody of any child, whether it be male or female, born during the duration of this companionship between {Free man's name} and {Free woman's name} shall be, as under Gorean law, this: {Free man's name} has the right to his heirs.

{In this section, the Scribe who is preparing this companionship contract will indicate one of the two custody arrangements below that best suits the desires of the free man.}

Example One:
Should for any reason this companionship contract be dissolved or is not renewed, and {Free woman's name} has not been enslaved or broken any of the terms listed in said contract, {Free woman's name} shall retain custody of {List which children who shall remain with the mother} born of this companionship. They shall remain with her until they have reached an age that is suitable for caste training; which will be determined by the caste of {Free man's name}, at which time the child/children shall be immediately delivered to {Free man's name} in order to be trained in the caste of {Free man's name}. During the younger years of the child/children, {Free man's name} shall have full visitation rights. After the child/children are delivered into {Free man's name}, {Free woman's name} may have visitation rights of the child/children; these visitations are subject to the discretion of {Free man's name}. The following child/children {List child/children's name, if any} born of this companionship shall remain with {Free woman's name} until such a time that they are to be companioned, with full rights of visitation given to {Free man's name}. Should this companionship be dissolved for reasons other than death, enslavement of {Free woman's name}, or the breaking of the terms listed in said contract, {Free man's name} retains his rights as the father of the children in the choosing and the approving of any potential suitors and companions for his female children. {Free woman's name} entering upon this companionship contract understands fully that should her behavior not reflect that of a proper, well bred, free woman and is not a good example to her child/children, or for any reason she is enslaved, then {Free man's name}, the father of the child/children may seize custody of their child/children at any given time.
{Free man's signature}
{Free woman's signature}

Example Two:
Should for any reason this companionship contract be dissolved or is not renewed, and {Free woman's name} has not been enslaved or broken any of the terms listed in said contract, then I, {Free man's name}, as father of my heirs hereby retain full and complete custody of the following child/children born of this companionship upon the contract's disolvement.
{State child/children's name/s and gender/s. Please note, some men will only want full custody of the male children and not the female ones.}
{Free woman's name} privileges to visitation rights and/or the rights to instruct the child/children may or may not be given, for they are subject to {Free man's name}'s discretion. He will retain his rights to visitation, the choosing of suitors and companions for any female child/children which he allows {Free woman's name} to have full custody of.
{Free man's signature}
{Free woman's signature}

7. Terms and Penalties
The following parties, {Free man's name} and {Free woman's name} both attest and agree fully that if {Free woman's name} engages in any sexual relations with any person, man or woman, that is not her free companion, {Free man's name}, it shall result in the dissolution of this companionship contract. Which also means, she shall suffer a complete loss of all/any sole and shared assets that she possessed before and during the period of this companionship. Let it be known that it is understood by {Free woman's name} that under Gorean law she can be enslaved for engaging in such activities with any other man that is not her companion can result in the stripping of her Caste, citizenship, and the loss of any/all rights to her children, as well as enslavement if {Free man's name} so chooses.
{Free man's signature}
{Free woman's signature}

If }Free woman's name} is enslaved, the consequences will follow the Gorean laws for enslavement. Any children born of this companionship shall be delivered immediately into the sole custody of the father, {Free man's name}. The "Couching Law" will also be enforced if such a case arises.

In the case of a mutually agreed dissolution of this companionship contract before its intended expiration date, then any/all assets and coins acquired during the length of the companionship shall be divided between {Free man's name} and {Free woman's name} as specified in the above statements in this contract. A dissolution agreement must be filed with the proper authorities, as well as signed by a minimum of two (2) witnesses.

With the affixing of my signature below, I attest that I enter into this contract of companionship of my own free will and that I agree fully to the terms, stipulations, and penalties set forth within.
}Free man's signature w/his Home Stone, Caste, and Date}

With the affixing of my signature below, I attest that I enter into this contract of companionship of my own free will and that I agree fully to the terms, stipulations, and penalties set forth within.
}Free woman's signature w/her Home Stone, Caste, and Date}

With the affixing of my signature below, I attest that both parties {Free man's name} and {Free woman's name} have entered upon this contract of companionship upon their own free will and they both agree fully to the terms, stipulations, and penalties set forth within.
{Scribe's signature w/Home Stone, Date, and Official Seal}

This contract of companionship must be renewed by the 20th Ahn of it's anniversary date {List Mun Date} or it shall become dissolved under Gorean law.

Date Of Ceremony: {Gorean Date & Mun Date}
Place of Ceremony: {Home Stone, House/Location}
Ceremony Performed By: {Signature, Home Stone, & Caste}
Witnesses In Attendance: {At least 2 are needed}
{Official Seal}