In California, there are many different grounds that can lead to a business dispute. Often, prior agreements and contracts have terms that the businesses disagree upon. Disputes can also occur over property matters, billing issues or other disagreements.

What to Do in a Business Dispute?

The first step when involved in a business dispute in Lancaster, California should be to review any documents relevant to the matter, such as contracts. It might have already been determined in these documents how disputes will be handled. Not all contracts have dispute resolution clauses, of course, and occasionally neither business has any documents relevant to the dispute at all. If that is the case, a court might be needed to resolve the dispute. California courts look to the individual cases in determining the best resolution. Where two parties have not agreed beforehand on how to handle a dispute, a specific set of legal principles is used instead. There are laws specific to each state that govern how to approach dispute resolution. Lawyers practicing in Lancaster are best suited to offer advice in accordance with California law. Negotiations might also proceed more smoothly when an attorney is consulted, which may even lead to a resolution outside of court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Contracts occasionally have clauses that mandate resolution outside of court. Methods for reaching out of court solutions are often called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR. Mediation and Arbitration are included in the concept of ADR. ADR is designed to reach the same conclusion as a court, but without the cost and inconvenience of actually appearing before a judge. Nevertheless, each form of ADR carries its own set of protocol, often involving a neutral third party that resolves the conflict according to the law. If ADR is to be used in resolving your dispute, an attorney in Lancaster experienced with ADR procedures can help you develop your case.