in equity, these principles operate to protect both the assignor and the assignee. in "norman v federal commissioner of taxation", a taxpayer attempted to assign by deed, to his wife certain moneys which he was eventually going to receive. this included dividends and interest due on loans. the court held the interest and the dividends were expectancies or possibilities which could not be assigned without consideration. the court's worry was that assignments without consideration might be used as instruments of fraud, to avoid creditors and tax collection.