Some say we live one day at a time. Others say we live one transaction at a time. In our day and age, that can feel true. Whether you’re launching a new business venture, hiring a service provider, or entering into a complex project, one of the most valuable tools you can have is a well-written contract. At A Business Law Firm, we often say that the primary role of a contract isn’t just to protect you when things go wrong, it’s to prevent things from going wrong in the first place.
At its core, a contract should make the most important terms crystal clear. For service contracts, that usually comes down to two essential elements: price and scope of services. For contracts involving goods, it’s often about the quantity of goods being exchanged. When these basic elements are clearly outlined, and both parties understand exactly what’s expected, it becomes much easier to avoid miscommunication, frustration, and costly disputes.
But contracts go well beyond just those basic terms. The best contracts anticipate what could happen, not just what should happen. We help our clients plan for a wide range of scenarios and build clear, specific provisions into their contracts to handle them. Why? Because in the real world, things change. Timelines shift. Clients make new requests. Costs increase. And when there’s no plan for handling those changes, even the strongest relationships can be tested.
Take the construction industry, for example. Most contractors and subcontractors will tell you that change orders, those mid-project changes to scope, materials, or price, are one of the biggest pain points they face. We’ve seen firsthand how disputes often come down to a single question: Was the change properly documented?
A strong contract will include a clear process for handling change orders: who has authority to approve them, how they must be submitted, and whether pricing adjustments require mutual consent. Without this clarity, disagreements arise. One party thinks the change was approved verbally; the other says it wasn’t. A written contract that lays out the right steps in advance is often what determines whether a disagreement stays a discussion, or turns into a full-blown dispute.
Even outside of construction, these principles apply. Service providers may find themselves performing extra tasks that were never included in the original agreement. Business owners may feel blindsided by invoices they didn’t expect. In both cases, the root issue is usually the same: the contract didn’t define the scope clearly, or changes to that scope weren’t properly documented.
We believe in building contracts that are living tools, not just dusty documents sitting in a file. When drafted well, a contract gives everyone peace of mind. It sets expectations, outlines responsibilities, and creates a clear process for making changes if needed. And most importantly, it gives you something solid to fall back on if things get murky.
The bottom line? Most legal disputes we encounter could have been avoided with better planning and clearer language in the contract. Investing the time up front to get it right is always worth it.
If you’re entering into a business agreement, especially one that involves services, deliverables, or construction work, don’t leave your contract to chance. Our team at A Business Law Firm can help you think through every angle, avoid costly oversights, and draft a contract that works for your business, not against it.
Let’s make sure your next contract is built for clarity and success.
Contact Chelsea Rikard at 864-699-9801 or visit abizlaw.com to schedule a consultation.
