Unfortunately, contract disputes are relatively common for businesses in Louisiana and throughout the nation. Although there’s no way to absolutely safeguard against litigation risk, taking a few basic precautions can significantly reduce any organization’s legal exposure. For starters, it’s useful to notarize all signatures on commercial contracts. Notarization can remove any hint of doubt that an important signature is authentic. As incredible as it might seem, it’s not unusual for people to sign contracts and later claim their signatures were forged. Even if it means risking perjury charges, signatories may be willing to lie for perceived financial gain.
With the help of an attorney, it is possible to push back on false claims of forged signatures. Nevertheless, dealing with a claim like this can waste time and resources. Notarized signatures almost always hold up in court. That’s because most notaries are legally required to remain bonded and insured. This means that if a notary’s mistake leads a company to lose a contract-related lawsuit, the notary’s insurance company must pay all the damages.
Because commercial litigation can be very expensive, it’s generally a good idea to have a legal professional carefully scrutinize every business contract before finalization. An experienced attorney can potentially help eliminate the vague contractual language that can ultimately lead to disputes and costly litigation.
If a company faces complex commercial litigation due to a contract dispute, reputations and jobs could hang in the balance. However, an experienced attorney could help defend against a lawsuit. With the help of a legal professional who can explain the ins and outs of a case, one can potentially move forward with less fear and more productivity.