In Ohio, a contract is different from a normal agreement in that the parties to a contract intend their agreement to have legal effect. Contracts may be oral or written, as long as both parties have the same understanding of the terms of the agreement. Most businesses want to solidify their agreements in writing so that they can rely on them in the future. Since many legal principles may be involved, drafting a contract works best when done with as much knowledge of the law as possible.

Negotiating a Contract in Shelby

Negotiation of each specific term in a contract is important to ensure that the intent of each party is met. Also, there are certain clauses that should be included in every Shelby contract to give it the desired legal effect. The terms of the contract may be determined based on clear expectations if both parties are forthright about their intentions early on. Also, parties may want to discuss whether they need a provision for resolving any disputes under the contract.

Using a Form Contract

Many Shelby, Ohio Attorneys use form contracts as a template for any new agreement. The attorney will add or remove contract provisions that the parties want, plus modify the specific language of the form contract to meet the parties' needs. This usually saves all parties time and money. There are risks to using a contract that neither party has written, especially if you proceed without the assistance of an attorney. First, using a form contract makes it more likely that one of the parties will not have understood the terms. This can lead to them being unaware of their duties under the contract. Second, the difficult language used in the field of contracts can make agreements written by others challenging to understand. Whether you decide to negotiate a contract or use a form contract, an attorney will be able to help you ensure that the written instrument matches your intent. Many lawyers practicing in Shelby are experts of Ohio contract law.