Contracts are essential, and our Seattle contract lawyer can put them to work for your business.. They outline the different responsibilities, expectations, dispute resolution mechanisms, and enforcement rules. This forms the basic foundation that delivers different goods and services.

Lots of business owners may be wary of contracts. They fear all of the pages of legal jargon, terminology, and small print. These contracts make it seem like you are signing your life away when conducting business.

This confusion is what makes many business owners hesitant to sign any contracts. They don’t want to become legally obligated and would like to avoid any negative repercussions such as lawsuits.

Contract law is confusing, and most people don’t understand it. We recommend always seeking advice from a contract lawyer. We will help you to understand all of the different terms and conditions, and explain how to make a counteroffer. This allows you to make better decisions and to know what is going on.

Situations like this are when you need to talk to the Seattle contract lawyers at Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess. Our attorneys have decades of experience practicing in contract law, and we will give you objective legal advice. We understand how contracts can be confusing and are here to help.

Why Choose Us?

Contracts can be confusing and complex. You need someone who knows the law. A Seattle business contract lawyer helps you with everything involving contracts. We practice in this area of the law and will give you objective legal advice. Our goal is to ensure that the contract is written to give you everything you want.

Your business contract lawyer listens to what you have to say. We use what you tell us and include these ideas in the contract to ensure that it is what you want. There are lots of fine print, legal terms, and phrases. We review and ensure the contract is worded in a way that will accomplish your goals.

How We Can Help

We will give you objective advice that is customized to your needs. You work with a Seattle business contract lawyer that gives you the extra personal attention you deserve. We return your phone calls, voicemails, emails, and text messages within 24 hours. You always know what is going on and can speak directly with your attorney.

We will never pass you on to someone who is less qualified. You will always work with an experienced and knowledgeable contract lawyer. This extra attention and flexibility are what help us to create successful outcomes for you. We understand your situation and apply everything you tell us in the contract to give you exactly what you want.

Contracts are complicated, and you need someone who practices in this area of the law. You will work with a business contract lawyer who is knowledgeable, experienced, and results-driven. Contact us today and see how we can make a difference.

Our Contract Attorney Can Craft a Document That’s Valid and Enforceable

A contract is a legally binding agreement between two parties. Generally, a contract requires three facts:

• An offer
• An acceptance of that offer
• An exchange of consideration (something of value, usually a product or service exchanged for money) between the parties.

While these are the minimal requirements to create a contract, depending on the situation there may be other legal requirements and state regulations that an agreement must meet to be legally binding and enforceable.

Virtually all agreements entered into in a business setting are contracts. Common business contracts include commercial leases, employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, purchase orders, and releases. The quality of these documents can have a profound effect on the health of your business, so contract lawyers can be a valuable part of the professional team supporting your company.

Featured Testimonial

“I have worked with and relied on the many staff members with Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess for a number of reasons over the last 12 years. ‘My’ personal attorney with the firm is Rob Dickson and I would trust him with my life. He and his staff are thorough, careful, considerate, thoughtful and appropriately aggressive when they feel it is the right time. I would without hesitation refer or recommend anyone to use Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess if and when they are in need of attorney specific services.”

All Contracts are a Matter of Negotiation

A negotiation starts whenever you are getting ready to enter into a contract. This is when one party will make an offer to you to deliver specific goods or services. You agree to do something in return. All contracts have three basic elements:

• An Offer: This is when you receive a contract that states what will be delivered and what you are going to provide in exchange. It spells out the terms, conditions, and expectations of all parties. You don’t have to accept the offer. You do have the option of making a counteroffer and amending the contract. The other party has the choice to accept or reject your counteroffer. This process of negotiating can go on for a while, depending on the size of the contract and the parties.
• Acceptance: You both have decided to accept the offer and you sign the contract. The other party signs it and the contract is in force. Both sides are expected to perform specific actions and deliver everything within the designated time frames.
• The Exchange: This is when something of value is exchanged. The transfer involves each party successfully performing specific actions to honor the terms of the contract.

These elements exist anytime you have a valid contract. Most people have trouble understanding what is happening and need the help of a Seattle contract lawyer to guide them.

We will help you with everything relating to contracts, including drafting a new contract and reading and understanding existing contracts. Our job is to look out for you by ensuring that the contract gives you everything you want.

Our Seattle Contracts Attorney Can Help Your Business

Contracts are tools that can help your business run more efficiently and effectively. They are legal documents that could improve every relationship your business has. They could also give you options when a party doesn’t live up to its obligations or the relationship ends in a way that damages your interests.

There are many benefits to using contracts as part of your business:

• Improve your bottom line: The services or products you contract for should cut your costs, provide you with new opportunities, enable you to focus on what you do best, provide you with critical supplies or components, and increase your revenue.
• Properly worded and executed contracts are legally binding: In case the other party is unwilling to uphold the agreement, with the help of an attorney you may recover your losses and be made whole financially. The legal system provides some assurance that the risks you take by entering into a contract will be mitigated by contract laws developed over centuries.
• Limits misunderstandings: Each party proposes their terms and conditions, what they want from the relationship and what they’re willing to do to maintain it. By the end of the negotiations, both sides should understand each other’s goals and expectations.
• Details: Depending on the issues, there may be many details. The process may force you to think about a problem or situation in more detail, resulting in a better understanding than you would have if no contract were written. These details can include binding performance time frames and methods of payment.
• A sense of security: Clarity in what each side will do and trusting the other party to act in good faith gives both sides a sense of security. This confidence can allow you to plan or turn your energies to other issues that need your attention.
• Better record keeping: Your business may do a better job with record keeping knowing there are financial and legal obligations on the line. You need to keep track of what you’re doing if the other party accuses you of breaching the agreement. You’ll also keep a close eye on the other party to see if they’re keeping their end of the bargain.

Our Contract Lawyers in Seattle Protect Your Interests If a Contract Is Not Fulfilled

Each party must do its best to perform its specific contracted duties. That performance fulfills their obligations, though a failure to perform may be excused depending on the facts of the case.

Performing your duties fulfills your contractual obligations. A breach arises when anything other than the promised performance occurs, but not every breach entitles you to go to court to void the contract or force the other party to give you everything you want.

A technical breach of a contract is something minor that doesn’t derail the agreement’s purpose, though it may be irritating or increase costs. The breach must be material. It goes to the heart of the contract; the breach irreparably breaks it and defeats the contract’s purpose.

A breach is probably not material if:

• The breaching party can pay some money or make a reasonable effort to make the other party whole.
• The contract involves many actions by a party and most of them are completed.
• The breaching party acted in good faith and acted reasonably to live up to its obligations.
• “Material breach” is defined in part of the contract and the situation doesn’t meet the definition. This could be a failure to make payments, maintain insurance, achieve certain goals, or time delays beyond a certain point.

A valid contract need not be in writing. As long as the requirements for a contract are met, you could be bound by an oral agreement. Thinking you can breach an oral contract without consequences would be a mistake.

Why Hire Our Contract Attorneys In Seattle If The Agreement May Have Been Breached?

Whether you believe the other party to the contract breached it or you’re the one accused of breaking the contract, there’s too much at stake to go it alone.

• If you’re accused of the breach, the other party could seek all the benefits it would have earned if the contract were entirely performed. That could be a substantial amount of money that you can’t afford to pay.
• If it appears the other side is breaching the agreement, it may wipe out all the value you hoped to gain from the contract and could cost you more. If the party is violating the contract and using your intellectual property for its gain to set up a competitor, it may put you out of business.

You may have many legal defenses to the claim, or facts we find may strongly bolster the case against the other side. Our Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess contract attorneys in Seattle are skilled negotiators who may work out a solution acceptable to both parties. If that fails, taking the dispute to mediation or arbitration may be in your best interests. We can also litigate the case for you, compellingly give the facts, and make effective arguments about why the case should go your way.

Our Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess Contract Lawyer May Be the Right One for You and Your Business

Our firm provides critical help to our clients every step of the way. We counsel clients considering entering into a contract and review contracts others offer them. Our attorneys negotiate contract language and are engaged when disputes arise between parties. Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess attorneys are knowledgeable, experienced, and give you the personal service you deserve.

Call our Seattle contract lawyer at 206-621-1110 (Seattle), 253-572-1000 (Tacoma), 360-742-3500 (Olympia), 971-416-0881 (Portland) or contact us online to set up a consultation.