In North Carolina, 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?

In a business dispute in Summerfield, North Carolina, the parties should first go over any relevant documents, especially contracts. There may be terms in these documents that determine how to handle the dispute. If the contracts do not have resolution clauses, or neither business has any recorded documents relevant to the dispute, then the matter may need to be taken to court. North Carolina courts look to the individual cases in determining the best resolution. Where two parties have not agreed beforehand on how to handle a dispute, a particular set of legal principles is used instead. The laws designed to settle contract disputes are different in each state. Attorneys practicing in Summerfield are versed in the contract law of North Carolina, and can help you to handle the dispute should it go to court. Negotiations may also proceed more smoothly when an attorney is consulted, which may even lead to a resolution outside of court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Many contracts have terms that will determine how a dispute is handled. These are often referred to as Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR clauses. These methods of resolution include Mediation and Arbitration, among others. ADR eliminates the need to go to court, while attempting to reach the same resolution that a court would have. Different types of ADR involve their own procedures, however, and they often include a neutral third party making a determination based on local law. An attorney familiar with ADR in Summerfield can counsel you through the process if your business dispute is to be resolved by ADR.