What is a requirement for consideration to be valid in a contract?

For consideration to be valid in a contract, it must be valuable, meaning that it has some worth in the eye of the law. Consideration refers to what each party stands to gain from the contract; it can be money, services, goods, or any other benefit. The key aspect is that it must be something that has tangible value, ensuring that both parties are engaged in a mutual exchange rather than one party giving away something for nothing. This requirement upholds the legal enforceability of a contract by demonstrating that both sides have agreed to provide something of value, creating mutual obligations.

In contrast, verbal agreements, confidentiality, or mere documentation do not inherently ensure valid consideration. Valid contracts can be both written and verbal, can involve confidentiality clauses, and do not necessarily need to be formally documented beyond the mutual agreement of consideration.