When you need to create a contract for a business relationship or are dealing with a disagreement over an existing contract, having skilled legal help on your side can be important for protecting your rights and interests. Many business deals involve complicated legal issues, and a contract attorney can explain them and support you in negotiating a fair agreement.
Disputes over contracts often affect each party’s legal rights and responsibilities. A Michigan business lawyer can help you understand your options and how to protect your position in a contract-related claim. The team at Bingham Legal Group PC can help you draft and negotiate contracts or handle disputes when they arise. Contact us for an initial consultation with a business law attorney serving Detroit and the greater Tri-County area to discuss your contract needs and learn more about our services.
Contract Law for Detroit Businesses
Parties can create a contract when one party offers terms of an agreement, the other party accepts those terms without modification, and the parties exchange consideration (something of value, such as money, property, or a promise to do or refrain from doing something). Parties can create enforceable oral agreements, although the law requires some contracts to be in writing. Nevertheless, having a written agreement can make it easier to prove the existence of the contract and its terms.
Contract matters can give rise to various issues and challenges for parties, such as:
- Creating contracts without valid consideration
- Unconscionable agreements (contracts wholly unfair to one party)
- Fraudulent inducement of a party’s agreement to a contract
- Ambiguous or conflicting agreement terms
Types of Contracts Our Firm Can Help With
At Bingham Legal Group PC, our law firm can help you or your Detroit-area business with contractual agreements such as:
- Vendor/supply agreements
- Purchase agreements
- Master services agreements
- License agreements
- Distribution agreements
- Corporate governance agreements, such as a partnership, shareholder, or operating agreement
- Independent contractor agreements
- Franchise agreements
- Restrictive covenant agreements, including confidentiality, non-solicitation, or non-compete agreements
- Employment agreements
Contract Drafting and Review Services
Bingham Legal Group PC can help you or your business draft a proposed contract or review the terms of an agreement presented to you by a counterparty. Having a precisely drafted contract can avoid pitfalls such as ambiguous, conflicting, or legally unenforceable terms. When drafting an agreement, we can identify potential risks to your business and ensure the contract protects your interests. When reviewing a contract, our attorneys will help you understand your rights and obligations under the agreement and identify loopholes to resolve.
Contract Negotiations and Risk Management
During the contract drafting and review process, Bingham Legal Group PC can also advocate on your behalf at the negotiating table with counterparties. Our experienced attorneys can pursue a tailored legal strategy designed to achieve a fair and favorable deal that prioritizes your primary goals and concerns for a contractual arrangement. Our objectives in contract negotiations focus on mitigating the risks of future disputes that can cost you or your business time and money.
Contract Disputes and Litigation
Our attorneys can also assist you with resolving contract disputes that may arise after you’ve entered an agreement. Common examples of disputes include:
- Breaches of contract
- Non-performance or non-conforming performance
- Payment disputes, such as non-payment, delayed payment, or underpayment
- Negligent or fraudulent misrepresentations
Should litigation result from a dispute over a business agreement, our legal team will review the relevant documents and evidence in your case, assess your legal rights, initiate negotiations or pursue contractually mandated mediation or arbitration, and, if necessary, advocate for your rights and interests in court should a dispute escalate to a lawsuit.
Our law firm also has extensive experience assisting clients in resolving contract disputes through alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation or arbitration. We can help you negotiate a settlement in mediation or present your case in arbitration.
Why Choose Our Contract Lawyers?
Negotiating a deal or resolving a dispute over contractual obligations makes legal counsel critical to preserving your options. Turn to the attorneys at Bingham Legal Group PC to help you with your contract matter because:
- We understand how hard you work to build your company, so our lawyers work just as hard to provide you with tailored legal advice and support when you negotiate a contract or need to resolve a dispute over an agreement.
- Our attorneys have decades of legal experience advising individuals and businesses throughout the Detroit area and the state of Michigan in a wide range of contract matters.
- Our law firm strives to provide personalized attention so you have the counsel you need in a contract matter. Our lawyers also use a collaborative approach, combining their collective knowledge and experience to provide you with tailored legal solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the most common questions that clients have about contracts include:
Do you have to put a contract in writing?
Although courts generally enforce oral contracts when a party can prove the creation of a valid agreement – an offer, acceptance, and exchange of value (consideration) – parties must put certain kinds of contracts in writing to have an enforceable agreement, such as:
- Contracts for the sale of goods with a value of $1,000 or more
- Promises to pay another party’s debt (guaranty)
- Real estate contracts, including sales of an interest in land or leases lasting longer than one year
- Contracts that the parties cannot perform within one year
However, parties should always put contracts in writing to avoid misunderstandings or disagreements about the terms of their agreement and to have documentation proving that they entered into a contract.
Can I use a contract template instead of hiring an attorney?
Many business owners and professionals may use contract templates available online or through subscription services for their contract needs to avoid the cost of hiring legal counsel. However, most contract templates will not adequately protect your legal interests. Templates may not address the unique details of your specific transaction, and their terms may not comply with the applicable governing law for your contract. Working with a contract lawyer will ensure that you have a valid, enforceable agreement with fair terms that protect your rights and interests.
How long does a contract dispute take to resolve?
Unfortunately, nobody can predict how long a contract dispute will take to resolve. Some disputes settle in a couple of months. Other disputes escalate to litigation and take years to reach trial. Various factors can affect the timeline of a contract dispute, including:
- The complexity and dollar value of the transaction
- Whether the parties have a written contract, and the number of documents involved in the parties’ contractual relationship
- The contract’s mandatory dispute resolution procedures (e.g., mediation or arbitration)
- Whether the parties can negotiate a settlement or need to take the dispute to trial
- The arbitrator’s or court’s schedule and availability if the dispute ends up in arbitration or litigation
Contact Our Michigan Contract Attorneys Today
Whether you need to negotiate and draft a business agreement or you find yourself in a legal dispute over a contract, get the advice and advocacy you need to protect your interests in a contractual relationship. Contact Bingham Legal Group PC today for a confidential consultation with a knowledgeable contract attorney serving Detroit and the Tri-County area to discuss your legal needs and learn how the team at our law office can help you.