In Maine, when two parties come to a mutually understood agreement that they intend to have legal force, a contract is created. There are both written and oral contracts, since all that is required is that the parties agree and understand each other. Businesses most often prefer the reliability of written contracts in their transactions. These instruments are best written by those with an expertise of the law, since the intent behind a contract is to give it legal effect.

Negotiating a Contract in Houlton

Along with particular clauses that should be included in every Houlton contract for it to be valid, it is important to adequately discuss each term to make sure that the intent of each party is understood by the other. Stating your intentions clearly at the beginning of negotiations is helpful, since then the parties may carefully detail the obligations and duties of the contract based on mutual expectations. Also, you may want to negotiate a process that can be followed should one party not fulfill its end of the contract.

Using a Form Contract

If an agreement needs a good starting point, you may want to consider a form contract. An attorney in Houlton,Maine can add or remove clauses according to the intent of the parties, and even the specific language can be made more comprehensible so that expectations are clear. Using a form contract without the guidance of an attorney may pose problems. First, a party using a form contract may not have completely read all the terms, and can thereby remain unaware of his performance obligations and liabilities if events do not go as planned. Second, form contracts will often contain language that is difficult to understand outside the legal community. This can cause disagreement over the meaning of a clause. Lawyers can help ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, whether negotiating a contract or using a form. Maine contract law is a field in which many Houlton Lawyers have specialized.