Under certain circumstances, documents simply signed through the course of business may be considered contracts. Purchase orders, receipts, sales agreements and others are contracts when they are held to be legally binding. Since the contract is a written agreement between parties, it is important that you understand your end of the agreement. If you don?t, you may still be held liable.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

Reading a document before you sign it is obviously the cardinal rule. The terms outlining your duties under the contract are especially worthy of special attention. However, documents can often be too lengthy for a worthwhile read, or so commonplace that reading each one is not practical. If so, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. An attorney in Astoria, Oregon can review any standardized documents that are signed during routine business, and can also look over any individual contract before you sign it. As they review contracts, Attorneys ensure that the written documents match the intent of their clients.

What if I Don't Understand a Contract in Oregon?

The words of a contract are the expression of an agreement, not the agreement itself. It is the parties' understanding of the contract as it is made that determines its legal effect, regardless of the specific words used. Given that your understanding of the contract is what matters, problems can result if you rely exclusively on the other party's representation of the contract terms. There are third parties in Astoria who are qualified to review and explain contracts. Some specific fields, such as finance, pose certain demands that can be time consuming to fulfill. But no matter how complicated the negotiations, the objective of a contract is to give the intent of the parties legal effect under Oregon law.