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 essential 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. Whether they are routine documents or negotiated agreements, an attorney in Rancho Palos Verdes, 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?

Although contracts are expressed in words, the agreement itself is what matters. Regardless of the language, parties to a contract are generally legally bound only according to their understanding of the contract. Since you will be bound by your understanding of a contract, it is unwise to rely too much on the other party's representation of your duties. A neutral third party in Rancho Palos Verdes can be hired to review and explain the contract. Contract negotiations, especially in the context of particular fields such as finance, can be time consuming and difficult. But as in all contracts, the objective is to record the intent of the parties so that their agreement will be given legal effect under California law.