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 clauses of your duties under the contract. However, documents can often be too long 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 Waterville, 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 Lawyer will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

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 generally matters most, regardless of cumbersome contract language. Since you will be bound by your understanding of a contract, it is unwise to rely too much on the other party's representation of your duties. A neutral third party in Waterville can be hired to review and explain the contract. Regardless of how complicated the negotiations in a particular field may be, giving the intent of the parties legal effect is the objective of all contracts under Maine law.