Documents simply signed through the course of ordinary 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 generally 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. However, documents can often be too lengthy 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 Topsham, Maine 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 Attorney will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

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

Although contracts are expressed in words, the agreement itself is what matters. Regardless of the language, parties to a contract are generally legally bound only according to their understanding of the contract. If you do not understand a contract, you may want to look for an outside source in Topsham to review and explain it. It is unwise to rely on the other party's representation of what is contained in the contract. 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.