Business disputes in Ohio often happen in several different areas. Frequently businesses disagree on the exact terms of prior contracts or arrangements. Also, billing issues and property matters can give rise to disagreements in the business setting.

What to Do in a Business Dispute?

If you are involved in a business dispute in Summit County, Ohio you should first review any relevant documents, including past and current contracts. These documents may contain clauses that dictate how and where you should handle a dispute. 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. Ohio courts may use legal principles to determine the outcome when the parties have not agreed beforehand about how to handle a dispute. In so doing, they look carefully to a particular case to discover the best resolution for all involved. Disputes over contracts and other agreements are handled differently depending on the laws of each state. Attorneys in Summit County know the laws of Ohio, and can offer individualized advice for those involved in business disputes. 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. In Summit County, Attorneys specialized in ADR can help if your business dispute is to be resolved out of court.