The law favors mutual recompense.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The law prefers that obligations flow both ways — where one party has conferred a benefit, the other ought to render an equivalent return. This principle undergirds the common-law doctrine of consideration and prevents one-sided exactions by ensuring that every enforceable agreement rests on mutual exchange.

Where this applies

• A contractor builds a deck for a homeowner but is never paid; the court enforces payment because the law favors mutual recompense — the one who receives the benefit must render the equivalent return.
• A supplier delivers goods on credit, and the buyer refuses to pay; the court orders compensation because the law insists that obligations flow both ways.
• An employee works overtime at her employer's request but is denied extra pay; the court awards back wages because the law favors mutual exchange — service rendered demands compensation in return.