A contract in West 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. A written contract is typically preferred by most businesses, because that make the agreements more reliable. Contracts may involve legal principles, so they are best formed with a clear understanding of the law.

Negotiating a Contract in Kanawha County

Along with specific clauses that should be included in every Kanawha County 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. Stating intentions clearly in the early stages of negotiations can lead to a contract that includes clearer terms. To conclude, the contracts that are easiest to enforce have clauses that determine how to handle disputes.

Using a Form Contract

Many Kanawha County, West Virginia Attorneys use form contracts as a template for any new agreement. The attorney will add or remove contract provisions that the parties want, plus modify the specific language of the form contract to meet the parties' needs. This usually saves all parties time and money. Using a form contract without the help of an attorney may pose problems. First, parties are less likely to read form contracts thoroughly, which may lead to one side being unaware of their duties under the contract. Second, the difficult language used in the field of contracts can make agreements written by others hard to understand. Attorneys can help ensure that a written contract matches the intent of the parties, whether negotiating a contract or using a form. West Virginia contract law is a field in which many Kanawha County Attorneys have specialized.