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. As a legally binding agreement, a contract must be fully understood in order for its legal consequences to be appreciated. Not expecting a contract's enforcement is typically no excuse under the law.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

Reading a document before you sign it is obviously the cardinal rule. The clauses outlining your duties under the contract are especially worthy of special attention. However, documents can often be too long 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. A New Carrollton, Maryland 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 Lawyer will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

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

The words of a contract are meant to simply express an agreement between two parties. They are not the agreement itself. It is your understanding of the contract that typically matters most, regardless of cumbersome contract language. Since it's your understanding that matters, relying on the other party's explanation of the contract terms may lead to problems. In New Carrollton, you can find a neutral third party that is qualified to review and explain the contract. Negotiations in some particular fields, such as finance, can require unique expertise; but no matter how complicated the situation, the objective of contract law in Maryland is to give legal effect to the intent of the parties involved.