Free consent in contract law refers to the voluntary and genuine agreement of all parties involved in a contract. It means that the parties enter into the contract without any form of coercion, undue influence, fraud, misrepresentation, or mistake. For a contract to be legally binding, the consent of the parties must be freely given, demonstrating a mutual understanding of the terms and a willingness to be bound by them. If there is a lack of free consent, the affected party may have the option to void the contract.