A contract in California is an agreement about anything of value between two or more parties who intend the agreement to have legal effect. It may be oral or written, as long as all parties agree to the contractual terms. The reliability of written contracts usually make them the preferred means for businesses to transact. Since the intent of a contract is to be legally effective, they are best formed by those who understand the law.

Negotiating a Contract in Yucaipa

Along with particular clauses that should be included in every Yucaipa 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 Yucaipa,California 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. However, form contracts can pose problems if they need to be interpreted by courts, especially if they are used without the help of an attorney. First, using a form contract makes it more likely that one of the parties will not have understood the terms. 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 term 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. Attorneys in Yucaipa often specialize in California contract law.