By: GDH Staff

So, you went online and found a one-size-fits-all contract that you think will suffice to govern your business agreement. One of the best pieces of advice we can give you is do not base your business agreement on a cookie-cutter contract you found online. We have come across many situations recently in which these kinds of online contracts resulted in ruin. We thought it would be a good idea to write a quick blog about why it is a good idea to have a qualified business attorney draft your legal documents.

Hire a Lawyer When Writing a Contract
There any number of reasons that you may want to write a business contract. Perhaps you are a product vendor, or a service provider, and you want to make an agreement that will govern your business relations with your clients. Or perhaps you are looking to draw up a document that will cover the duties and equity positions in a partnership. Whatever the reason you decide to use a contract, it is a good idea to have a lawyer do it for you.

Recently we have received a number of calls relating to contract disputes, whether because one party claimed that another party did not uphold its end of the contract, or as a result of a dispute as to what the contracted duties and compensations entail. Many times, these kinds of disputes arise because the parties drew the contract up themselves. Instead of going it alone, have an attorney professionally handle this important legal aspect of your business. This will help sort things out in the future when its time to wind things down.

Hire a Lawyer to Review a Contract You are Thinking about Signing
When you are presented with a contract, it is common to scan it for any glaring problems and then cautiously sign it, crossing your fingers that nothing ever goes wrong. But in our practice, we see the effects of bad contracts every day. For example, someone may call us frantically asking how to get out of a contract that, on the face of it, looks like may cost him or her several hundred thousand dollars. These kinds of disputes are quite common and often arise because one of the parties signed a document that he or she did not understand.

By hiring a lawyer, you will ensure that you not only understand exactly what you are signing, but that you also understand possible future implications of the contract, given various likely and unlikely scenarios.

Hire a Lawyer To Revise an Existing Agreement
If a business or professional relationship lasts long enough, there is a good chance that it will experience significant change. Changes in roles, the costs of goods and services, and compensation are all common. When a change in your business necessitates a change in the contract governing the business, it is important that you do not “go it alone”. Don’t just scratch out the old verbiage and write in the revised agreement. This kind of ad-hoc contract change can cause significant problems. For example, if the wording is not specific enough that clause, or the contract as a whole, may be enforceable. Or, if it is enforceable, a court may read the modified contract in a way that favors one party over the other.

Instead of taking chances, it is always best to consult a qualified attorney and draft an appropriate contract, or changes to a contract, which reflect the intentions of all parties.

GDH LAW is a business law and personal injury firm located in Lanham, MD. Contact GDH LAW at 301-769-6835.