Business disputes in South Carolina often happen in many 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?

The first step when involved in a business dispute in West Columbia, South Carolina should be to review any documents relevant to the matter, such as contracts. It might have already been determined in these documents how disputes will be handled. If the contracts do not have resolution clauses, or neither business has any recorded documents relevant to the dispute, then the matter might need to be taken to court. Where the parties have not agreed beforehand about how to handle disputes, legal principles have been designed to determine the resolution. When they are called upon, South Carolina courts try to discover the best resolution by looking to the facts of the specific situation presented. The fields of contract law and dispute resolution are defined by local state law. West Columbia Lawyers are accustomed to handling disputes under South Carolina law, and can offer personalized advice for all types of business disputes. Negotiations might also proceed more smoothly when an attorney is consulted, which may even lead to a resolution outside of court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Contracts often have terms 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. ADR makes going to court unnecessary, because it is designed to reach the same result that a court would have. Still, some methods of ADR entail their own formal procedures, most enlisting a third party to determine a dispute based on local law just as a judge would do. If ADR is to be used in resolving your dispute, an attorney in West Columbia experienced with ADR procedures can help you develop your case.