Some documents that are simply signed through the usual course of business are still contracts. These include purchase orders, receipts, and sales agreements, among others. Understanding your end of any such agreements is critical so that you can be aware of any legal consequences. You may be legally accountable for a contract, even if your understanding is incomplete.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

Obviously, reading anything before you sign it is the first step. But as you read it, pay careful attention to the terms of an agreement that outline your obligations and duties. However, documents can often be too long 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. Whether they are routine documents or negotiated agreements, an attorney in East Palo Alto, California can review any contract before you sign it. In reviewing a contract, a lawyer will ensure that your intent is what shows up in the written document.

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

The words of a contract are meant to simply express an agreement between two parties. They are not the agreement itself. It is your understanding of the contract that usually matters most, regardless of cumbersome contract language. Given that your understanding of the contract is what matters, problems might result if you rely exclusively on the other party's representation of the contract terms. There are third parties in East Palo Alto who are qualified to review and explain contracts. Negotiations in some particular fields, such as finance, can require unique expertise; but no matter how complicated the situation, the objective of contract law in California is to give legal effect to the intent of the parties involved.