When parties to an agreement intend it to have legal effect, that agreement is called a contract. In Missouri, contracts may be oral or written, as long as both parties have the same understanding of the terms of the agreement. Most businesses want to solidify their agreements in writing so that they can rely on them in the future. Since many legal principles may be involved, drafting a contract works best when done with as much knowledge of the law as possible.

Negotiating a Contract in Platte

Negotiation of each specific term in a contract is important to ensure that the intent of each party is met. Also, there are certain clauses that should be included in every Platte contract to give it the desired legal effect. Stating intentions clearly in the early stages of negotiations can lead to a contract that includes clearer terms. To conclude, the contracts that are easiest to enforce have clauses that determine how to handle disputes.

Using a Form Contract

Many Platte, Missouri Attorneys use form contracts as a template for any new agreement. The attorney will add or remove contract provisions that the parties want, plus modify the specific language of the form contract to meet the parties' needs. This usually saves all parties time and money. However, form contracts can pose problems if they need to be interpreted by courts, especially if they are used without the help of an attorney. First, parties using form contracts often do not read all the terms, and can therefore be unaware of their obligations under the contract. Second, form contracts often use words and language understood only within the legal community. This may cause parties to agree to a term they don't really understand. With either a negotiated contract or a form, an attorney can ensure that the written document matches the intent of each party. Attorneys in Platte often specialize in Missouri contract law.