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?
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. Luckily, there are other way to make sure the contract is correct. Whether they are routine documents or negotiated agreements, an attorney in Walnut Creek, 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?
A contract is a written form of an agreement, not the agreement itself. Contract language is cumbersome, but it is your understanding of the actual agreement that typically matters most. Given that your understanding of the contract is what matters, problems may result if you rely exclusively on the other party's representation of the contract terms. There are third parties in Walnut Creek 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.