A contract in Delaware 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. Businesses most often prefer the reliability of written contracts in their transactions. These instruments are best written by those with an understanding of the law, since the intent behind a contract is to give it legal effect.

Negotiating a Contract in Sussex County

Negotiation of each specific term in a contract is important to ensure that the intent of each party is met. Also, there are certain clauses that should be included in every Sussex County contract to give it the desired legal effect. The terms of the contract may be determined based on clear expectations if both parties are forthright about their intentions early on. Also, parties may want to discuss whether they need a provision for resolving any disputes under the contract.

Using a Form Contract

Many Sussex County, Delaware Attorneys use form contracts as a template for any new agreement. The attorney will add or remove contract provisions that the parties want, plus modify the specific language of the form contract to meet the parties' needs. This usually saves all parties time and money. There are risks in using form contracts without the help of an attorney. First, parties are less likely to read form contracts thoroughly, which may lead to one side being unaware of their duties under the contract. Second, the difficult language used in the field of contracts can make agreements written by others hard to understand. Attorneys can help ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, whether negotiating a contract or using a form. Delaware contract law is a field in which many Sussex County Attorneys have specialized.