In Pennsylvania, 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. A written contract is generally preferred by most businesses, because that make the agreements more reliable. Contracts may involve legal principles, so they are best formed with a clear understanding of the law.

Negotiating a Contract in West Reading

Along with certain clauses that should be included in every West Reading contract for it to be valid, it is important to adequately discuss each term to make sure that the intent of each party is understood by the other. Stating your intentions clearly at the outset of negotiations is helpful, since then the parties may carefully detail the obligations and duties of the contract based on mutual expectations. Also, you may want to negotiate a process that can be followed should one party not fulfill its end of the contract.

Using a Form Contract

Form contracts can serve as a good starting point for a sound agreement. Attorneys in West Reading, Pennsylvania often keep past contracts on file, and can add or remove provisions based on the situation. They can also reword the specific language of form contracts to make them more clear. There are risks to using a contract that neither party has written, especially if you proceed without the assistance of an attorney. First, parties using form contracts often do not read all the terms, and can therefore be unaware of their obligations under the contract. Second, the difficult language used in the field of contracts can make agreements written by others difficult to understand. Attorneys can help ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, whether negotiating a contract or using a form. Pennsylvania contract law is a field in which many West Reading Attorneys have specialized.