A contract in Virginia is an agreement made by parties that intend their agreement to have legal effect. As long as parties to a contract have the same understanding about the contractual terms, the contract may either be written or entirely oral. Most businesses want to solidify their agreements in writing so that they can rely on them in the future. Since many legal principles may be involved, drafting a contract works best when done with as much knowledge of the law as possible.

Negotiating a Contract in Smithfield

Along with specific clauses that should be included in every Smithfield 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. Being forthright about your intentions early on can be helpful, because it allows the terms of the contract to be determined based on clear expectations. Lastly, a clause that determines how to handle a dispute under the contract may be worthwhile to negotiate.

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 Smithfield, Virginia to add or remove clauses, or to simply make the contract language more clear. There are risks to using a contract that neither party has written, especially if you proceed without the help of an attorney. First, using a form contract makes it more likely that one of the parties will not have understood the terms. This can lead to them being unaware of their duties under the contract. Second, form contracts often use words and language understood only within the legal community. This may cause parties to agree to a term they don't really understand. An attorney can ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, both with form contracts and in negotiations. In Smithfield, many Attorneys specialize in Virginia contract law.