Construction Law

4 Benefits of Hiring a Construction Lawyer to Negotiate Your Contracts Part 2

Picture this — you’ve spent the past year building residential properties for a gated community on the outskirts of your city. You’re roughly halfway through the scope of work established in your contract when suddenly, your payments from the owner are cut off. When you contact the owner to inquire about the missing payment, you discover that you accidentally violated your contract. The owner claims that due to the breach of contract you now owe them money. To make matters worse, you’re still legally responsible for the construction of another 150 units.

Now that it’s too late to amend the contract, you realize that you should have consulted a construction lawyer to help you negotiate, draft, and review your contract. Unfortunately, your next call will have to be to a Tallahassee construction dispute attorney to help you repair your relationship with the owner and minimize the financial backlash of your contract.

In part one of this two-part series, we discussed how a construction lawyer can help you maximize the value of your contract while clarifying your needs. Now, we will discuss two other reasons you should hire a construction lawyer to negotiate your contracts.

3. Avoid a Dispute

The more airtight the contract, the less chance of a dispute arising and derailing your project. When a construction lawyer reviews your contracts, there’s a greatly reduced chance that you and the owner will butt heads over inconsistent or unclear information. An attorney can help you contend with the inherent back-and-forth of contract negotiations. You’re worried about revenues and the owner is worried about risks, so you want to take as much time as you can to iron out any potential wrinkles before a dispute arises. If you are already embroiled in a contract-related dispute, consulting a Tallahassee construction mediation attorney can help you reach a mutually beneficial outcome without the need for costly litigation.

4. Build Your Network

Whenever you complete a project satisfactorily and earn the praise of the owner, you are setting yourself up for a potentially lucrative business relationship that can last years. Owners want to work with people they trust. Trust is built through positive experiences. Since your contracts largely dictate whether or not your project will be successful, it follows that taking preventative action to draft strong contracts can help build your rapport with an owner. With an attorney on your side during contract negotiations, you can ensure that you meet all of the owner’s expectations and set yourself up for more work in the future.

If you would like to speak with a Tallahassee construction dispute attorney, please contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.