Contractual Disputes

Whether a contract is written, oral, commercial or private parties frequently fall out over the terms of agreement. This may be because one party has not performed an obligation, including a payment obligation, or there is a misunderstanding or uncertainty as to what those obligations are.

We can advise on your legal position and on what remedies are available.

Going to Court (litigation) is regarded as a last resort. We will take a commercial view of your case and carefully consider the cost/benefit ratio of any course of action.

Parties are now required to consider mediation at an early stage. We will advise you fully on the implications of this and on the likely costs.

Common examples of a contractual relationship are :-

Supply of goods and services

  • A partnership or joint venture agreement
  • Agency agreements
  • Distribution agreements
  • Construction projects
  • A loan agreement


The possibilities for disputes arising out of a contract are literally endless. Any contractual relationship can give rise to the possibility of litigation if one party feels aggrieved. This may be due to non-payment or non-performance of the other party's obligations, a concern that confidential information has been misused, breach of intellectual property rights, exceeding the terms of a licensing agreement, delay in performance, quality issues or unfair and oppressive contractual terms.

The availability of objective legal advice can be invaluable in such circumstances and ultimately cost saving.

We will be able to advise you on whether you have a case to take or defend. We will also advise you how best to proceed. A simple letter from us may bring the matter to a close, alternatively another method of dispute resolution may have to be considered. 'Going to Court' is only rarely the preferred option. We concentrate on trying to find the most suitable solution. We work closely with you (whether corporate or individual) to identify objectives and agree timescales. The costs/benefit analysis of the whole process is kept under constant and careful review.