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. For any such agreements, it is necessary that you understand your end of the bargain and the legal consequences of it. Otherwise, you could be held legally accountable for something you did not expect.

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. Luckily, there are other way to make sure the contract is correct. A Scottdale, Pennsylvania attorney can look over a contract before you sign it, as well as review any standardized documents that you deal with on a routine basis. In so doing, the Attorney will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

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

A written contract is the expression of an agreement between two parties; it is not the agreement itself. Regardless of any confusing contract language, you are legally bound only according to both parties' understanding of the contract. Since you will be bound by your understanding of a contract, it is unwise to rely too heavily on the other party's representation of your duties. A neutral third party in Scottdale can be hired to review and explain the contract. Certain fields, such as finance, may pose certain demands in contract law that can be cumbersome. But regardless of the situation, a contract under Pennsylvania law is to give legal effect to the intent of the forming parties.