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?

Before you sign anything, read what you are signing. Pay careful attention to the clauses of your duties under the contract. If the document is too long for a worthwhile read, or it is so commonplace that reading it is not practical, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. An attorney in Lebanon, Maine can review any standardized documents that are signed during routine business, and can also look over any individual contract before you sign it. As they review contracts, Lawyers ensure that the written documents match the intent of their clients.

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

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 particular 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 Lebanon who are qualified to review and explain contracts. Contract negotiations, especially in the context of particular fields such as finance, can be time consuming and difficult. But as in all contracts, the objective is to record the intent of the parties so that their agreement will be given legal effect under Maine law.