In New York, 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 Geneseo, New York, reviewing any relevant documents, especially contracts, should be the first step. These documents might decide how the dispute will be resolved. If there are no dispute resolution clauses in the contracts, or there are no attending documents at all, the parties might 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, New York courts try to discover the best resolution by looking to the facts of the specific situation presented. Disputes over contracts and other agreements are handled differently depending on the laws of each state. Lawyers in Geneseo know the laws of New York, 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 might even enable you to resolve the dispute without going to court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Sometimes contracts themselves require that disputes under them be resolved outside of court. Methods of conflict resolution of this form are called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR. ADR includes Mediation, Arbitration and sometimes a combination of the two. 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 form 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 Geneseo experienced with ADR procedures can help you develop your case.