Businesses of all sizes and types rely on contracts to maintain their relationships with other companies on whose products and services they rely. As the scope of businesses has expanded and many relationships have become global, contracts outlining the interactions between various entities have become increasingly complex. The best way to avoid disputes that can interfere with business at every level is to start with a carefully crafted document by a contract attorney who has in-depth knowledge of contract law.
Small business owners may overlook the need for binding contracts because of the smaller scale on which they work. Staten Island Lawyer Frank Savona explains that, in fact, the opposite may be true. Issues that may be minor to a large organization may be detrimental to a small or new business. If the expectation you have of the other business is important to your business, then having a binding contract is important as well.
Contracts Based on Past Behavior
In addition to written and verbal contracts, there may also be those that are based on the behaviors you have shared with other parties in the past. If you have done business with the same company for a long time in a certain way, the court may look at the behaviors as being a common understanding between the two and accept it as a contract even when it has never been made into a formal agreement.
Make Contracts Mutually Binding
A contract that gives one party rights and obligations without giving any to the other cannot be considered binding. For example, a store owner allows a friend to display his products over a three-foot section of shelving without any specification to the types of products displayed. Things may go smoothly until the friend changes his product line in the store and the new ones are in direct competition with those in his store that he counted on for a profit. Since there was no obligation on the part of the friend, there is no contract. If the store owner had agreed to provide the space to the friend with the obligation to display products that were not in direct competition to his own, then there would be a valid contract between them that would be binding.
What to Look for in a Contract Attorney
Whenever a business is just getting started or an existing company is extending into new relationships or venues. Whenever you need contract preparation and negotiation services that you can rely on, only an attorney who specializes in contracts will do. Do your research online to find a contract attorney in your area with a great deal of experience in this area.
Include reading testimonials by other clients in your research to learn what previous clients have to say. Chances are that you will find some details of the attorney’s services that are important to your needs that you hadn’t even considered. Some features to look for are personal attention and having a smooth process throughout their legal process.
There is no question that having a good contract attorney available is vital to any business that relies on its partnerships with other companies to operate and maintain products or services that meet their business standards. Only an experienced contract attorney has the skills and experience to create or review any contract to make your business associations secure.