A number of the cases that we deal with at Jackson Boyd are contract disputes. These can come in a wide variety of forms, such as claims relating to contracts for services, consumer contracts, and loan agreements.
Although many contracts take the stereotypical form of a legal document with an extensive number of pages and a signature at the bottom, a contract is really just an agreement between two parties. We regularly handle cases where agreements have been made over email, or Facebook Messenger, for instance. Contracts can also be created verbally, in person or over the phone, but if possible it is best to have your agreement in writing to avoid confusion as to what each party’s obligations are.
When dealing with contract disputes we will normally ask for a copy of the contract, so if you are seeking advice on this kind of matter we would recommend looking out all correspondence between yourself and the other party regarding your agreement, any terms and conditions relating to the agreement, and any quotes that you have provided or have been provided with if relevant.
We have clients who look to enforce a range of different contract terms, but common examples are where they have provided goods or a service to the other party and have not been paid in return, and where they have had goods or a service provided to them by the other party that are of poor quality or where work has not been completed.
These situations can often be complicated where for example, one party may argue that they do not have to pay the full price for works carried out by the other if they were not satisfactory. There could also be some debate as to what was meant by specific aspects of the agreement. It is therefore best to seek legal advice if you are involved in a contract dispute to clarify your legal position.
There are also a number of additional common law and statutory rules for particular types of contract. In the case of contracts for services, there are a number of implied terms under common law relating to time, care, quality and scope. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 as the name suggests deals with the standards to be expected and how to resolve issues for consumer cases.
If you are looking for advice on a contract dispute, our Dispute Resolution team can be contacted on 0333 331 6796.
