In New Mexico, 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 involved in a business dispute in Espanola, New Mexico, reviewing any relevant documents, especially contracts, should be the first step. These documents may determine how the dispute will be resolved. Not all contracts have dispute resolution clauses, of course, and sometimes neither business has any documents relevant to the dispute at all. If that is the case, a court may be needed to resolve the dispute. New Mexico courts will look to your specific case and try to discover the best resolution. In determining the outcome, they will use a specific set of legal principles designed for situations where the parties have not agreed beforehand on how to handle a dispute. There are laws specific to each state that govern how to approach dispute resolution. Attorneys practicing in Espanola are best suited to offer advice in accordance with New Mexico law. Resolution of the dispute may even be reached outside of court once an attorney's knowledge of the law smoothens negotiations between the two parties.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Contracts often have clauses requiring that a dispute be handled outside of court. This is called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR, and it includes Mediation and Arbitration among others. All forms 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 determination based on local law. If ADR is to be used in resolving your dispute, an attorney in Espanola specialized with ADR procedures can help you develop your case.