In California, there are several 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 Novato, 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. However, the dispute might need to be taken to court if contracts do not have resolution clauses, or if there are no documents relevant to the dispute. California courts will look to your particular case and try to discover the best resolution. In determining the outcome, they will use a specific set of legal principles designed for situations where the parties have not agreed beforehand on how to handle a dispute. The fields of contract law and dispute resolution are defined by local state law. Novato Lawyers are accustomed to handling disputes under California law, and can offer personalized advice for all types of business disputes. Discussion with the other business about how to resolve the dispute might also proceed more smoothly under the direction of an attorney, avoiding the need to go to court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Most contracts have terms that will decide how a dispute is handled. These are often referred to as Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR clauses. These methods of resolution include Mediation and Arbitration, among others. ADR eradicates the need to go to court, while attempting to reach the same resolution that a court would have. Different types of ADR involve their own procedures, however, and they often include a neutral third party making a decision based on local law. An attorney experienced with ADR in Novato can counsel you through the process if your business dispute is to be resolved by ADR.