There are various grounds that can lead to business disputes in Louisiana. Business may disagree about the terms of contracts and prior arrangements. Billing issues, property matters and other grounds can also give rise to disputes between businesses.

What to Do in a Business Dispute?

The first step when involved in a business dispute in St. Martinville, Louisiana should be to review any documents relevant to the matter, such as contracts. It might have already been determined in these documents how disputes will be handled. If there are no dispute resolution clauses in the contracts, or there are no attending documents at all, the parties might always resort to the courts to resolve the dispute. In trying to discover the best resolution for two parties who have not agreed beforehand on a resolution, Louisiana courts will use specific legal principles designed for the situation. There are laws specific to each state that govern how to approach dispute resolution. Lawyers practicing in St. Martinville are best suited to offer advice in accordance with Louisiana law. An attorney's knowledge of the law may also lead to a more streamlined discussion with the other business about how to resolve the dispute. Negotiations might even enable you to resolve the dispute without going to court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Disagreements in contracts must often be resolved outside of court according to a dispute resolution clause. Methods of resolving a conflict outside of court are called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR. These methods include Mediation, Arbitration and Collaboration. 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 St. Martinville can counsel you throughout the process and develop the case you will present.