Guide to Enforcing Contracts and Legal Agreements

If the other party to a contract is not doing what they agreed to do, or has violated the agreement in a significant way, this is called a breach of contract. You can start out by simply declaring to them that they have breached the agreement and you intend to enforce it. If they don’t comply, then you may want to file a lawsuit against them. Many contracts require that disputes go to arbitration rather than court.

Importantly, you must be able to prove your claims to the court (or arbitrator). In the case of a handshake deal or oral agreement, or implied contract, you may need to prove that there was a binding agreement in the first place (unless the other party concedes this). This can be difficult unless you have witnesses or circumstantial evidence of some kind.

To sue for relatively small amounts of money, up to $5,000 to $20,000 (depending on the state), you can file in small claims court.

If you need help enforcing a contract, we personally recommend Rocket Lawyer.¹NOTE: Law Soup Media may receive compensation from Rocket Lawyer if you use any of their services. We stand by every company we endorse. Your purchases from these companies through our links help keep us around to provide you with free legal info! Thank you. Or find a contracts lawyer or civil litigator to help.

Related Pages

Contracts and Agreements

Laws for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners