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 necessary 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?

A careful reading is necessary before you sign any document. Pay special attention to the clauses that outline your responsibilities 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. A Pleasant Hill, California 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 Lawyer will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

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

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 particular words used. Since it's your understanding that matters, relying on the other party's explanation of the contract terms can lead to problems. In Pleasant Hill, you can find a neutral third party that is qualified to review and explain the contract. Certain fields, such as finance, may pose certain demands in contract law that can be cumbersome. But regardless of the situation, a contract under California law is to give legal effect to the intent of the forming parties.