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. An attorney in Bridgeport, Michigan can review any contract before you sign it, whether it is a standardized document or a negotiated agreement. Attorneys review contracts to ensure that the intent of their client is given proper legal expression within the written documents.

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

A contract is a written form of an agreement, not the agreement itself. Contract language is cumbersome, but it is your understanding of the actual agreement that generally matters most. Since it's your understanding that matters, relying on the other party's explanation of the contract terms can lead to problems. In Bridgeport, you can find a neutral third party that is qualified to review and explain 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 Michigan is to give legal effect to the intent of the parties involved.