In Illinois, when two parties come to a mutually understood agreement that they intend to have legal force, a contract is formed. There are both written and oral contracts, since all that is required is that the parties agree and understand each other. Most businesses want to solidify their agreements in writing so that they can rely on them in the future. Since many legal principles may be involved, drafting a contract works best when done with as much knowledge of the law as possible.

Negotiating a Contract in Lake Barrington

Along with specific clauses that should be included in every Lake Barrington contract for it to be valid, it is important to adequately discuss each term to make sure that the intent of each party is understood by the other. Being forthright about your intentions can help the contract goal of mutual understanding of expectations. To conclude negotiations, you may want to include a clause that determines what is to be done if a party fails to meet its duty.

Using a Form Contract

Many Lake Barrington, Illinois Attorneys use form contracts as a template for any new agreement. The attorney will add or remove contract provisions that the parties want, plus modify the specific language of the form contract to meet the parties' needs. This usually saves all parties time and money. Using a form contract without the assistance of an attorney may pose problems. First, parties using form contracts often do not read all the terms, and can therefore be unaware of their obligations under the contract. Second, form contracts often contain language that is specific to the field of law, and using forms without an understanding of this language can cause future disagreements over a contract's meaning. Attorneys can help ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, whether negotiating a contract or using a form. Illinois contract law is a field in which many Lake Barrington Attorneys have specialized.