Many times, businesses deal with legal disputes that end up in court, leading to draining and exhausting legal battles. Even if you trust your partners and think they could never do something to harm your business or your reputation, you should be aware of some suspicious signs and pointers that may tell you something is going on. In such cases, you must act proactively and never ignore such issues, as they can only cause many problems later on. Let’s check out some of them.
The other person doesn’t want to communicate
Communication is the best way to resolve any dispute, so if the other party seems unwilling to collaborate, then that can be suspicious. It often means that they are preparing for a legal battle or to take things to court, which can be quite bad for you and cause you many problems. Their silence may indicate they are consulting with their lawyer about silently collecting all the evidence against you. In such a case, you should work proactively and consult with your litigation lawyers about the best steps to take and how to avoid any unfavorable results. They will deal with anything from dispute resolution, commercial litigation, bankruptcy, and many other problems so that you will be on the right side of the law and act according to all regulations. Of course, you should always do your best to consult with the other side, but if everything is in vain, then you should take steps to prevent further issues.
Something doesn’t feel right
If you have owned your own business for some time now, then it is right to assume that you have built up a really good intuition. Many people do not like to follow it, but if it has not let you down too much lately, then do not start to question it now. If you think that something seems off with a business agreement or partner, then start researching what that can be. You should cover all your bases and make sure that there is no possibility that you can be held accountable legally or that you can lose money. The other party does not have to know anything about this but rather tries to do everything behind the scenes just so that you can cover yourself. It may be smart that you investigate the other party to some extent. Talk with their business partners and see what they are planning, but make sure that you do not give up what you are trying to understand. If you feel that the other party has changed somehow in the way they behave, then you may want to stop doing things with them until you are sure that everything is alright.
The other party threatens you with legal action
The moment the other party breaks their silence and starts threatening with legal action, you must act immediately so that no one can take advantage of you. If you don’t handle it properly, you can only cause more problems, so it is best to consult with your lawyer and check out what the best thing to do is, how to prepare your defense, and how to prepare for the court. This will keep you on the safe side, and you will not worry so much about what is going to happen, as you will have the right people by your side who will protect your interests and fight for your rights.
Breach of contract
When the other party makes this huge mistake, you should never stay silent, but rather, act immediately and find ways to deal with this legally. First of all, ask your attorney what to do and how to approach the whole situation. Then, stand up for yourself and address all the things the other party has done, whether that is not delivering the products on time, breaking some dealerships without your consent, or violating some terms of the contract.
Problems with payments
A very common problem between two business partners has been payments. If the other company does not pay what it owes you on time, you should not immediately jump the gun but rather talk with it and see what the problem is. If this keeps on continuing, then you can do one of these things. You can stop selling to them until they pay, you can sue them, or you can leave them be and stop dealing with them until they give you your money.
Liability for damages
If your company is at fault for causing damage to someone, whether it is an individual or a business, then you should not be lazy but make sure you and your lawyer are ready for what can come. This may be resolved quite simply most of the time, but sometimes it can be rather tricky, so it is better to involve your lawyer from the get-go.
Employee disputes
Another common problem businesses face is when they have to deal with their employees. Whatever you want to do with an employee, you should first cover yourself legally. Call in a lawyer and let them help you go through a termination of contract or something similar so that you do not have to go through legal disputes.
Emotions
When you notice that the other party is extremely angry and furious and does everything to make the dispute process go against you, surely they cannot control their emotions, so you must do everything to prevent them from taking actions that are a result of their current state. In this case, the dispute may escalate, and you must keep it cool to protect your interests since emotional conflicts can be quite difficult to resolve and deal with. A lawyer who can mediate the whole situation can be very helpful in such cases, as they will approach the whole situation professionally and focus on finding the best solution for your case.
Business disputes can be challenging to deal with, and many times, they end up in court, which can be quite time-consuming, annoying, and emotionally draining. However, if you recognize the red flags on time and work to resolve them, you will come to the best results for both sides without worrying and stressing too much.
