How businesses can quickly resolve breach of contract issues

On Behalf of | Aug 3, 2022 | international business

When another business doesn’t fulfill contractual obligations to your company, it can lead to operational headaches and financial losses. The longer such contract disputes last, the more of an impact they may have on your company.

You obviously cannot control what another business or an individual does when subject to a contract with your business, but you can take steps to limit how much damage a breach of contract causes your company and to resolve it quickly. The right approach may facilitate a smoother and less contentious resolution to the issue.

Double-check your contract

Sometimes, people assume a breach of contract has occurred because they have specific expectations that the other party failed to meet. However, if a business does not outline those expectations in the contract that they signed, the other party may not know about the expectations. Reviewing the contract to affirm if the other party has failed to perform their side of the agreement is an important first step in most breach-of-contract scenarios.

Communicate with the other party

Often, what one party perceives as a massive breach of contract is truly just an oversight or mistake on the part of the other party. Perhaps the company recently let someone go and has struggled since to delegate their clients to other staff members. Maybe there was a misunderstanding regarding the turnaround time or delivery date.

Firm but not accusatory language is often useful when first advising the other party of a breach of contract. If you give them an opportunity to correct the issue, often they will.

Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance

Going to court is often the last resort in a breach of contract issue, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid court at all costs. Even if you file a lawsuit against the other party in the hope of enforcing your contract or seeking damages, you may still resolve the matter outside of court.

A pending lawsuit can motivate the other party to cooperate or at least communicate more openly. If you do have to go to court, the document that you signed will guide the judge’s decision. The more evidence you have, the more convincing your claim will become.

Taking the right steps when a breach of contract affects your company negatively will help you effectively resolve the issue.