In a typical CDS contract, we usually have two
potential cash flow streams: a fixed leg and a
contingent leg. On the fixed leg side, the buyer
of protection makes a series of fixed, periodic
payments of CDS premium until the maturity or
default whichever happens sooner. On the contingent
leg side, the protection seller makes one payment only if the reference credit defaults. The
amount of a contingent payment is usually the
notional amount multiplied by (1−R), where R is
the recovery rate, as a percentage of the notional