In Ds relationships it is common that once a commitment has been made by both parties that they sit down together and draw up a contract. This is a consensual process where both parties outline what they expect from the other person. Obviously this isn't legally binding, but if at any stage one partner believes that the other isn't living up to their contractual responsibilities, they can pull out the contract and point this out, before negotiating a change in behaviour.

Many people that are unfamiliar with Ds might believe that such contracts are very heavily weighted in favour of the dom's demands. This is not necessarily the case at all. But in a non-Ds relationship, both parties could negotiate the contractual terms as they saw fit.

I suggest this is a very healthy way for both parties to ascertain what they want from a relationship and expect from their partners, and that all relationships would benefit from this process.

Agree / disagree below.