In Montana, business disputes commonly occur over a variety of different matters. Most often, businesses can disagree on the terms of contracts and prior arrangements. Property matters and billing issues also frequently form the basis of disputes between businesses.

What to Do in a Business Dispute?

If you are involved in a business dispute in Livingston, Montana you should first review any relevant documents, including past and current contracts. These documents may contain clauses that dictate how and where you should handle a dispute. If there are no dispute resolution clauses in the contracts, or there are no attending documents at all, the parties may always resort to the courts to resolve the dispute. Where the parties have not agreed beforehand about how to handle disputes, legal principles have been designed to determine the resolution. When they are called upon, Montana courts try to discover the best resolution by looking to the facts of the particular situation presented. Disputes over contracts and other agreements are handled differently depending on the laws of each state. Attorneys in Livingston know the laws of Montana, and can offer individualized advice for those involved in business disputes. An attorney's knowledge of the law may also lead to a more streamlined discussion with the other business about how to resolve the dispute. Negotiations may even enable you to resolve the dispute without going to court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Contracts sometimes have clauses that mandate resolution outside of court. Methods for reaching out of court solutions are often called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR. Mediation and Arbitration are included in the concept of ADR. ADR is designed to reach the same conclusion as a court, but without the cost and inconvenience of actually appearing before a judge. Nevertheless, each type of ADR carries its own set of protocol, often involving a neutral third party that resolves the conflict according to the law. If ADR is to be used in resolving your dispute, an attorney in Livingston familiar with ADR procedures can help you develop your case.