Business Contracts

You don’t always need a formal-looking contract or a lawyer to make a business agreement. But it’s a good idea to document your agreement, expectations, and each party’s responsibilities in writing, especially when a large sum of money is involved.

Pay close attention to this provision every time it appears in a contract.

Unexpected disasters can strike, rendering a contract impossible or impractical to complete. A force majeure clause excuses you from your contractual duties when acts of God make performance impossible.

What goes into a legally binding agreement?

All you need is a clear agreement and mutual promises to exchange things of value.

Follow these guidelines to make an enforceable, plain-English business agreement or contract.

What happens when rights and duties under a contract are handed off to a third party?

No contract exists until an offer is accepted. So what does "acceptance" mean?

Certain people lack the legal ability to enter into a binding contract.

A look at some of the standardized language you'll find in many contracts.

Your contract can specify the governing law that will apply to disputes involving the agreement.

What does a "time is of the essence" contract provision mean, and will it be enforced?

A bill of sale is the contract that's used most often for a car or other goods are bought and sold.

Tips on using an acquisition agreement when one business buys another.

What does a typical confidentiality agreement look like? Here's a sample NDA.

Who pays the broker that helps you buy products and services? It all depends.

How do you know whether your contract is "irreparably broken" in the eyes of the law?

Contracts can be broken as soon as one party indicates that it can't -- or won't -- meet its obligations.

Here's some background on this very large collection of legal rules governing many important business and commercial activities.