A contract in Wisconsin is an agreement made by parties that intend their agreement to have legal effect. As long as parties to a contract have the same understanding about the contractual terms, the contract might either be written or entirely oral. A written contract is usually preferred by most businesses, because that make the agreements more reliable. Contracts may involve legal principles, so they are best formed with a clear understanding of the law.

Negotiating a Contract in Watertown

Along with particular clauses that should be included in every Watertown 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. Stating your intentions clearly at the beginning of negotiations is helpful, since then the parties may carefully detail the obligations and duties of the contract based on mutual expectations. Also, you may want to negotiate a process that can be followed should one party not fulfill its end of the contract.

Using a Form Contract

If an agreement needs a good starting point, you may want to consider a form contract. An attorney in Watertown,Wisconsin can add or remove clauses according to the intent of the parties, and even the specific language can be made more comprehensible so that expectations are clear. There are risks to using a contract that neither party has written, particularly if you proceed without the advice of an attorney. First, using a form contract makes it more likely that one of the parties will not have understood the clauses. This can lead to them being unaware of their duties under the contract. Second, form contracts often use words and language understood only within the legal community. This may cause parties to agree to a clause they don't really understand. With either a negotiated contract or a form, an attorney can ensure that the written document matches the intent of each party. Lawyers in Watertown often specialize in Wisconsin contract law.