6 Tips on How to Avoid Litigation
Litigation can be distracting not to mention time consuming and expensive for your business. A legal dispute, no matter what the outcome, can damage its reputation and affect employee morale. There are many downsides to suing and being sued, to say the least. While your Los Angeles litigation attorney may be experienced and dependable, avoiding litigation may be in your best interests—these tips can help you avoid the time, costs, and hassles of a trial.
- Get Every Agreement in Writing
The terms of a partnership or any business relationship, and what happens when this arrangement breaks down, should be in writing. This goes for any agreement with a business partner, shareholder, supplier, customer, or employee. If any variations of the original agreement are drafted, they should put in writing as soon as possible.
Written agreements can also outline a method for dispute resolution, such as mediation. An agreement should also be read carefully, so there are no misunderstandings and each party knows what to do in case there is a later dispute.
- Communication
Clients, customers, and other parties should always be kept in the loop. Always be up front about your budget, costs, and scheduling. Perhaps you can’t meet a very important deadline or cut-off date. Letting everyone know in advance helps avoid surprises and misunderstandings. Return every call and email promptly so all parties involved are informed, which can ultimately avoid serious disputes that can lead to litigation.
- Act on Major Problems Quickly
If you make a mistake, receive a compliant, or something doesn’t go as planned, don’t procrastinate in addressing it. Train your team to identify disputes, communicate and address issues quickly, and raise their concerns with management. By providing employees with a reporting system, seeking professional advice, and dealing with each issue as it arises, you can avoid costly lawsuits or disputes that can lead to them.
- Be Vigilant About Who You Work With
Before engaging with potential customers, clients, suppliers, and even employees, check the Internet for past disputes they may have had. There are businesses and people that just seem to be dispute-prone. By looking closely at potential partners, clients, and other parties, you can decide whether it’s worth doing business with or recruiting them. Also look within your own organization to see if anything may be affecting its relationships.
- Think Objectively
Work on understanding the other side’s position as much as possible. What is driving their refusal to negotiate or passion for resorting to litigation? If you can figure out what’s motivating their decision, or at least narrow down the issues, you may find a means to resolve the matter out of court.
- Seek the Proper Legal Representation
First, identify the legal issues at hand. Then find the right attorney for your situation, who is familiar with your situation, industry, and type of business and has the right experience. By taking these steps, you can find a lawyer who can work out a dispute fairly to all parties involved. They can help you prepare and discuss what to expect, while offering invaluable insights into how to resolve the dispute.
Oaktree Law provides a range of litigation services to help businesses and individuals choose options and make the best decisions to resolve various legal matters. Our Los Angeles and Orange County litigation attorney can help in cases of fraud, breach of contract, non-compliance, intellectual property, employment, and wrongful termination disputes. To get started, call 562-219-2979 or request a free evaluation today.