Under certain circumstances, documents simply signed through the course of business may be considered contracts. Purchase orders, receipts, sales agreements and others are contracts when they are held to be legally binding. Since the contract is a written agreement between parties, it is critical that you understand your end of the agreement. If you don?t, you may still be held liable.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

Before you sign anything, read what you are signing. Pay careful attention to the terms of your duties under the contract. However, documents can often be too lengthy for a worthwhile read, or so commonplace that reading each one is not practical. If so, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. A Dauphin County, Pennsylvania attorney can look over a contract before you sign it, as well as review any standardized documents that you deal with on a routine basis. In so doing, the Attorney will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

What if I Don't Understand a Contract in Pennsylvania?

The words of a contract are the expression of an agreement, not the agreement itself. It is the parties' understanding of the contract as it is made that determines its legal effect, regardless of the specific words used. Since the understanding of the contract is the vital aspect, relying on the other party's representation of what the contract contains might lead to problems. You may want to find a third party in Dauphin County that is qualified to review and explain the contract. Regardless of how complicated the negotiations in a specific field may be, giving the intent of the parties legal effect is the objective of all contracts under Pennsylvania law.