No one wants to become involved in a dispute. Disputes are frustrating and may make working with others nearly impossible.
If you do have a contract dispute, though, it’s important that you work through it. Whether that means arbitrating or going to court may depend on the contract itself.
What should you do if someone has breached a contract with you?
To start with, you’ll need to see if there is something you can do to avoid going to court. If the contract was breached, talk to the other party and ask if there is something they are able to do to make amends. For instance, you may not have received a delivery on time, but the other party may be willing to rush an order or refund you to make up for the breach.
If you and the other party can’t come to an agreement about the breach, then you have another option, which is to take the case to mediation or arbitration. Most contracts have clauses that dictate how you have to approach disputes. Yours might indicate arbitration or mediation instead of going to trial.
If your contract doesn’t have a mediation or arbitration clause, then you should talk to your attorney about filing a lawsuit against the other party. When they signed the contract, they were agreeing to do what they said they would do within the time frame specified. If the breach of contract affected your business, your income or your profits, then you are well within your rights to hold them accountable for those losses.
