A contract in Florida 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 St. Pete Beach

Along with specific clauses that should be included in every St. Pete Beach 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 intentions clearly in the early stages of negotiations can lead to a contract that includes clearer terms. To conclude, the contracts that are easiest to enforce have clauses that determine how to handle disputes.

Using a Form Contract

Many St. Pete Beach, Florida 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. 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, parties using form contracts often do not read all the terms, and can therefore be unaware of their obligations under the contract. Second, form contracts often contain language that is specific to the field of law, and using forms without an understanding of this language can cause future disagreements over a contract's meaning. Attorneys can help ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, whether negotiating a contract or using a form. Florida contract law is a field in which many St. Pete Beach Attorneys have specialized.