Documents simply signed through the course of normal business may still be considered contracts. Purchase orders, receipts, sales agreements and others can be held legally binding under certain circumstances. Since the contract is a written agreement between parties, it is crucial that you understand your end of the agreement. If you don?t, you may still be held liable.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

A careful reading is necessary before you sign any document. Pay special attention to the terms that outline your responsibilities and duties. 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. Whether they are routine documents or negotiated agreements, an attorney in Shelbyville, Illinois can review any contract before you sign it. In reviewing a contract, a lawyer will ensure that your intent is what shows up in the written document.

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

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 may result if you rely exclusively on the other party's representation of the contract terms. There are third parties in Shelbyville who are qualified to review and explain contracts. Some specific fields, such as finance, pose specific demands that can be time consuming to fulfill. But no matter how complicated the negotiations, the objective of a contract is to give the intent of the parties legal effect under Illinois law.