"when the supporting bureaucracy has lost track with reality" That's really the key point actually. Things become self perpetuating without anyone even questio

"when the supporting bureaucracy has lost track with reality" That's really the key point actually. Things become self perpetuating without anyone even questioning if they are still even necessary. That said most people don't read contracts (at least most consumers) so in a sense and in certain situations it pays to stuff as many things in there as possible. What's interesting is how many risky situations you enter into with potential liability where you don't sign a contract. For example nobody signs a contract to eat a meal at a restaurant. You don't sign away your right to sue if the food is bad or if the meal isn't delivered on time. The car company that sells you a car doesn't require you to sign a contract with them the dealer of course has a sales contract which is different. Car company is big enough to not really have to go that route. They know they don't need a contract to protect against the little things and with a big thing it doesn't matter. Otoh an electrician just quoted a job to me for under $800. And he sends me this long involved contract (that no doubt he copied from another electrician) which really isn't necessary for this type of job. I remember when a developer I hired to do work started many years ago. It was a $60k job. Long and involved contract. Ended up signing it (needed the work had no choice). Well we are still doing business 12 years later. But it evolved into a handshake. Nothing in the contract says he has to take my call at 11:00pm on a Saturday night but last weekend he did just that. He and his team finished the repair by Monday morning. I told him to take his wife and family to dinner and we'd pay the bill. Not required but I was really appreciative of the effort. He thanked me and told me it was his job to make sure things were working but he appreciated very much.