As a Houston business owner, you know that contracts are at the center of many vital processes. Accordingly, contract disputes can be highly damaging to your current and future business endeavors, and may even result in exorbitant fees to cover legal needs. Fortunately, there are methods you can utilize to ensure the contracts you devise remain legally sound.
Inc. offers a few helpful tips on preventing contracts from being disputed, such as having all binding documents notarized by a professional. If your contract is called into question in a court of law, signees may attempt to dispute their involvement by alleging that they never signed the contract in the first place. This defense will not work for notarized contracts, as a representative will be present to validate that a contract has actually been signed by an individual.
While verification of a signee’s identity can be accomplished when a document is being notarized, you should also take some time to confirm a signee’s ability to live up to the requirements contained in the document. This entails performing proper due diligence, wherein you can vet a potential business associate before committing to a binding agreement. This process will lay bare any lingering concerns, as well as ensure that the signee is capable of meeting the stipulations of the contract.
Questions about budget can easily result in a disputed contract, which is why it’s crucial that you go over all possible costs in great detail. A contract should clearly designate who will ultimately be responsible for what expenses, which can help prevent confusion down the line. While it can be difficult to determine all costs associated with a business venture or project, you should get as close as possible to a final budget.