diff --git a/ARCHITECTURE.md b/ARCHITECTURE.md
index 8ed414e..65d7f18 100644
--- a/ARCHITECTURE.md
+++ b/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -96,6 +96,6 @@ Notes on edges that are deliberately absent from this diagram:
 
 - [docs/dev-environment.md](docs/dev-environment.md) — full local setup.
 - [docs/abi-snapshot-workflow.md](docs/abi-snapshot-workflow.md) — when and how to regenerate `abis/`.
-- [docs/contract-tree-feature-parity.md](docs/contract-tree-feature-parity.md) — feature parity between the canonical and legacy contract trees.
+- [docs/adr-0001-dual-source-trees.md](docs/adr-0001-dual-source-trees.md) — why the dual source trees exist and the plan to remove them.
 - [docs/error-codes.md](docs/error-codes.md) — contract error enums and their meanings.
 - [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) — which paths handle fund-safety-critical code.
diff --git a/docs/adr-0001-dual-source-trees.md b/docs/adr-0001-dual-source-trees.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd996e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/adr-0001-dual-source-trees.md
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+# ADR-0001: Dual Contract/Backend/Frontend Source Trees
+
+## Status
+
+Accepted
+
+## Context
+
+The repository contains two parallel source trees for each layer of the stack:
+
+| Layer | Canonical tree | Legacy tree |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| Contracts (Rust) | `COMEBACKHERE-contracts/` | `contracts/` |
+| Backend (Node/Express) | `comebackhere-backend/` | `backend/` |
+| Frontend (React) | `comebackhere-frontend/` | `frontend/` |
+
+The legacy trees (`contracts/`, `backend/`, `frontend/`) were the original
+in-tree copies of the source code. When the project reorganised to use
+dedicated CI workflows per layer (`.github/workflows/ci-contracts.yml`,
+`ci.yml`), new canonical directories were introduced with the `COMEBACKHERE-`
+prefix. The legacy trees were kept in place rather than deleted.
+
+### Why the duplication was introduced
+
+1. **CI restructure.** The canonical trees are wired into GitHub Actions
+   workflows that run `cargo test`, `npm ci`, `tsc --noEmit`, and
+   `npm run build` on every PR. The legacy trees have no equivalent
+   dedicated CI — they rely on file-matching jobs that may or may not
+   cover a given change.
+
+2. **Backward-compatible doc references.** Documentation such as
+   `docs/error-codes.md` cites `contracts/invoice/src/lib.rs` as the
+   source of `InvoiceError`. Removing the legacy tree without updating
+   every reference would break cross-links.
+
+3. **Reviewer familiarity.** Contributors accustomed to the old paths
+   could continue reviewing changes at the same locations during the
+   transition period.
+
+4. **No-breaking-change migration.** Deleting the legacy trees in a
+   single PR would force every open PR and branch to rebase, creating
+   unnecessary churn across dozens of in-flight contributions.
+
+### What each tree contains
+
+The canonical trees carry the full current source plus event modules,
+benchmark suites, integration tests, and ABI-generation hooks. The legacy
+trees carry an older snapshot — some modules (e.g. `events.rs`,
+`benchmark.rs`, `test.rs`) have never been back-ported.
+
+See [docs/contract-tree-feature-parity.md](./contract-tree-feature-parity.md)
+for a detailed comparison.
+
+---
+
+## Decision
+
+We maintain the dual-tree structure until the following conditions are met:
+
+1. **All doc references** to legacy paths are updated or removed.
+2. **Full feature parity** is achieved (see the migration checklist in
+   `contract-tree-feature-parity.md`).
+3. **No open PRs** target the legacy trees.
+4. A **single PR** deletes the legacy trees and updates any remaining
+   references.
+
+Until then, the rule is simple:
+
+> New work targets the `COMEBACKHERE-*` tree. The legacy tree is a valid
+> PR target only for narrow fixes to files that CI already covers.
+
+---
+
+## Consequences
+
+### Positive
+
+- No breaking changes to existing PRs or branches.
+- Contributors can onboard at their own pace without re-learning paths.
+- CI coverage is unambiguous — the canonical tree is the only one with
+  dedicated status checks.
+
+### Negative
+
+- Contributors must learn which tree to target (mitigated by
+  `CONTRIBUTING.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md`).
+- Feature parity gaps can accumulate silently (mitigated by the
+  parity table in `docs/contract-tree-feature-parity.md`).
+- The repository carries more files than strictly necessary until the
+  legacy trees are removed.
+
+### Risks
+
+- If the migration stalls, the legacy trees could drift far enough
+  apart that porting changes becomes error-prone. The parity table
+  and regular reviews should prevent this.
+
+---
+
+## References
+
+- [ARCHITECTURE.md](../ARCHITECTURE.md) — canonical vs mirrored trees.
+- [CONTRIBUTING.md](../CONTRIBUTING.md) — which tree to target.
+- [docs/contract-tree-feature-parity.md](./contract-tree-feature-parity.md) — feature parity comparison.