In New Jersey, business disputes commonly occur over a variety of different matters. Most often, businesses can disagree on the clauses 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 involved in a business dispute in Somers Point, New Jersey, reviewing any relevant documents, especially contracts, should be the first step. These documents might decide how the dispute will be resolved. If the contracts do not have resolution clauses, or neither business has any recorded documents relevant to the dispute, then the matter might need to be taken to court. New Jersey 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 specific set of legal principles is used instead. The laws designed to settle contract disputes are different in each state. Lawyers practicing in Somers Point are versed in the contract law of New Jersey, and can help you to handle the dispute should it go to court. With an attorney's knowledge of the law, the parties of a dispute might be able to avoid going to court entirely, since negotiations often proceed more smoothly with representation.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Contracts occasionally 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. All types of ADR are designed to reach the same decision a court would have, without needing to actually go to court. They carry their own sets of procedures and protocols, and they often involve a neutral third party listening to both sides of a dispute and making a decision based on local law. If ADR is to be used in resolving your dispute, an attorney in Somers Point familiar with ADR procedures can help you develop your case.