A contract in Vermont 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 Colchester

Along with specific clauses that should be included in every Colchester 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 can help the contract goal of mutual understanding of expectations. To conclude negotiations, you may want to include a clause that determines what is to be done if a party fails to meet its duty.

Using a Form Contract

If an agreement needs a good starting point, you may want to consider a form contract. An attorney in Colchester,Vermont can add or remove provisions according to the intent of the parties, and even the specific language can be made more comprehensible so that expectations are clear. There are risks to using a contract that neither party has written, especially if you proceed without the assistance of an attorney. First, a party using a form contract may not have thoroughly read all the terms, and can thereby remain unaware of his performance obligations and liabilities if events do not go as planned. Second, form contracts will often contain language that is difficult to understand outside the legal community. This can cause disagreement over the meaning of a term. With either a negotiated contract or a form, an attorney can ensure that the written document matches the intent of each party. Attorneys in Colchester often specialize in Vermont contract law.