Documents simply signed through the course of usual 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 usually 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 terms of your duties under the contract. If the document is too lengthy 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. Whether they are routine documents or negotiated agreements, an attorney in Portland, Maine can review any contract before you sign it. In reviewing a contract, a lawyer will ensure that your intent is what shows up in the written document.

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

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 usually matters most, regardless of cumbersome contract language. Given that your understanding of the contract is what matters, problems might result if you rely exclusively on the other party's representation of the contract terms. There are third parties in Portland who are qualified to review and explain contracts. Negotiations in some specific fields, such as finance, can require unique expertise; but no matter how complicated the situation, the objective of contract law in Maine is to give legal effect to the intent of the parties involved.