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. Understanding your end of any such agreements is critical so that you can be aware of any legal consequences. You may be legally accountable for a contract, even if your understanding is incomplete.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

Obviously, reading anything before you sign it is the first step. But as you read it, pay careful attention to the terms of an agreement that outline your responsibilities and duties. However, documents can often be too lengthy for a worthwhile read, or so commonplace that reading each one is not practical. If so, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. A La Follette, Tennessee 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 Tennessee?

The words of a contract are meant to simply express an agreement between two parties. They are not the agreement itself. It is your understanding of the contract that generally matters most, regardless of cumbersome contract language. Since it's your understanding that matters, relying on the other party's explanation of the contract terms can lead to problems. In La Follette, you can find a neutral third party that is qualified to review and explain the contract. Negotiations in some specific fields, such as finance, can require unique expertise; but no matter how complicated the situation, the objective of contract law in Tennessee is to give legal effect to the intent of the parties involved.