In Rhode Island, a contract is different from a normal agreement in that the parties to a contract intend their agreement to have legal effect. Contracts might 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 Kent County

Along with certain clauses that should be included in every Kent County 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. The terms of the contract may be decided based on clear expectations if both parties are upfront 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

It may save you time to use a form contract instead of drafting your own. Even so, you may want an attorney in Kent County, Rhode Island to add or remove provisions, or to simply make the contract language more clear. If the parties attempt to use a form contract without an attorney's advice, there may be risks. First, parties using form contracts often do not read all the clauses, and can therefore be unaware of their obligations under the contract. Second, the challenging language used in the field of contracts can make agreements written by others difficult to understand. Lawyers can help ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, whether negotiating a contract or using a form. Rhode Island contract law is a field in which many Kent County Lawyers have specialized.