Business disputes in South Dakota 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 Sioux Falls, South Dakota 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. South Dakota courts look to the individual cases in determining the best resolution. Where two parties have not agreed beforehand on how to handle a dispute, a specific set of legal principles is used instead. There are laws specific to each state that govern how to approach dispute resolution. Lawyers practicing in Sioux Falls are best suited to offer advice in accordance with South Dakota law. Discussion with the other business about how to resolve the dispute might also proceed more smoothly under the direction of an attorney, avoiding the need to go to court.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Disagreements in contracts must often be resolved outside of court according to a dispute resolution clause. Methods of resolving a conflict outside of court are called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR. These methods include Mediation, Arbitration and Collaboration. 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 your business dispute is to be resolved by ADR, an attorney experienced with these methods in Sioux Falls can counsel you throughout the process and develop the case you will present.