Some documents that are simply signed through the normal course of business are still contracts. These include purchase orders, receipts, and sales agreements, among others. Understanding your end of the bargain is important for such agreements, since there may be legal consequences as with any other contract. Accountability for contracts should be anticipated as much as possible.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

Reading a document before you sign it is obviously the cardinal rule. The terms outlining your duties under the contract are especially worthy of special attention. However, documents can often be too lengthy for a worthwhile read, or so commonplace that reading each one is not practical. If so, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. An Oskaloosa, Iowa attorney can look over a contract before you sign it, as well as review any standardized documents that you deal with on a routine basis. In so doing, the Attorney will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

What if I Don't Understand a Contract in Iowa?

The words of a contract are the expression of an agreement, not the agreement itself. It is the parties' understanding of the contract as it is made that determines its legal effect, regardless of the specific words used. Given that your understanding of the contract is what matters, problems can result if you rely exclusively on the other party's representation of the contract terms. There are third parties in Oskaloosa who are qualified to review and explain contracts. Contract negotiations, especially in the context of specific fields such as finance, can be time consuming and difficult. But as in all contracts, the objective is to record the intent of the parties so that their agreement will be given legal effect under Iowa law.