Have you tried these ways of reducing the likelihood of disputes?

In construction, you may find you’re involved in a dispute if one of the parties breaches the construction contract. Construction disputes can also happen because of delays, not meeting the conditions of a contract or because one party is just making unsubstantiated claims.

Disputes are frustrating, but there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of disputes occurring. For example, some helpful tips include:

• Carefully reading any contract you have and having your attorney review it
• Planning out your team’s work or your construction plans ahead of beginning work to eliminate the risk of falling behind or being delayed
• Dealing with problems the moment they arise instead of pushing them aside
• Keeping schedules realistic and having a plan for delays and disruptions to the schedules

There’s no way to avoid every possible dispute, but with those tips, many can be avoided. If you do end up in a dispute, you may want to consider:

• Negotiating, which helps you talk about the issues and work toward a satisfactory resolution
• Mediation, where a third-party mediator will help resolve the dispute through discussion
• Arbitration, where a third-party arbitrator makes a binding decision regarding the dispute

If all else fails, it is possible to take a dispute to court. Litigation is time-consuming and can be more expensive than other methods, so most parties are happy trying other methods first. If they fail, then litigation is the final step.

If you’re involved in a dispute, do what you can to negotiate and come to a reasonable solution. If it’s not possible, your attorney can help you prepare for trial.