In Delaware, there are several different grounds that can lead to a business dispute. Often, prior agreements and contracts have terms that the businesses disagree upon. Disputes can also occur over property matters, billing issues or other disagreements.
What to Do in a Business Dispute?
If involved in a business dispute in Wilmington, Delaware, reviewing any relevant documents, especially contracts, should be the first step. These documents might decide how the dispute will be resolved. Not all contracts have dispute resolution clauses, of course, and occasionally neither business has any documents relevant to the dispute at all. If that is the case, a court might be needed to resolve the dispute. Delaware courts may use legal principles to determine the outcome when the parties have not agreed beforehand about how to handle a dispute. In so doing, they look carefully to a specific case to discover the best resolution for all involved. Each state has different business laws about dispute resolution and contract law. An Lawyer practicing in Wilmington can help you handle your dispute in accordance with the applicable Delaware laws. Negotiations might also proceed more smoothly when an attorney is consulted, which may even lead to a resolution outside of court.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Contracts often have terms requiring that a dispute be handled outside of court. This is called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR, and it includes Mediation and Arbitration among others. ADR makes going to court unnecessary, because it is designed to reach the same result that a court would have. Still, some methods of ADR entail their own formal procedures, most enlisting a third party to determine a dispute based on local law just as a judge would do. If your business dispute is to be resolved by ADR, an attorney experienced with these methods in Wilmington can counsel you throughout the process and develop the case you will present.