There are several grounds that can lead to business disputes in Maine. 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?

If involved in a business dispute in Hampden, Maine, reviewing any relevant documents, especially contracts, should be the first step. These documents might decide how the dispute will be resolved. If there are no relevant documents, or the contracts do not have resolution clauses, then the dispute might need to be taken to court. Maine courts look to the individual cases in determining the best resolution. Where two parties have not agreed beforehand on how to handle a dispute, a specific set of legal principles is used instead. Disputes over contracts and other agreements are handled differently depending on the laws of each state. Lawyers in Hampden know the laws of Maine, and can offer individualized advice for those involved in business disputes. With an attorney's knowledge of the law, the parties of a dispute might be able to avoid going to court entirely, since negotiations often proceed more smoothly with representation.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Most contracts have terms that will decide how a dispute is handled. These are often referred to as Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR clauses. These methods of resolution include Mediation and Arbitration, among others. ADR focuses on reaching the same resolution that a court would have, without the parties actually going to court. Methods of ADR often involve their own protocols, occasionally bringing in a third party to find a solution based on local law. In Hampden, Lawyers practiced in ADR can help if your business dispute is to be resolved out of court.