Litigation Lawyers in Washington

In Washington, Iowa, commercial litigation is any civil litigation that includes a business transaction. Commercial litigation can come up in virtually any business context.

In Washington, Iowa, you should expect any form of commercial litigation to be expensive and confusing. While large and sophisticated companies are well-equipped to deal with civil litigation, and are often the ones facing it, civil litigation in Washington, Iowa can also arise between those who are not nearly as accustomed to handling it, such as individuals and small businesses.

Common Sources of Commercial Litigation in Washington, Iowa

Commercial Leases: Most businesses in Washington, Iowa operate from a single physical location, despite the rise of the Internet and e-commerce. These locations are often in rented space, which is typically more cost-effective than purchasing real estate just for the purpose of operating a business. These rental arrangements are laid out in documents called "commercial leases." Like every other contract, these leases are sometimes broken. If the parties cannot resolve the ensuing dispute amongst themselves, they might have to resort to commercial litigation.

Sales of Real Estate: When buying real estate in Washington, Iowa, a lot of things can go wrong, possibly making commercial litigation necessary. In these cases, things like title defects (when the seller doesn't directly own the land or house that they're selling), physical defects in the property that weren't disclosed to the buyer, or a buyer's failure to tender payment on time, among other things, can all lead to commercial litigation.

Sale of Goods: Buying and selling personal property is far more common than buying and selling real estate in Washington, Iowa. Consequently, it's also more common for commercial litigation to arise out of disputes concerning the sale or purchase of goods, as opposed to land. Some common problems that can come up in the sale of goods are a seller's failure to deliver the right product on time, or the buyer failing to pay the price that they agreed on. Most of the time, reasonable, professional people can settle these disagreements amongst themselves. However, in relatively rare cases, they have to resort to commercial litigation when a negotiated settlement is unrealistic.

Business Loans: When someone starts a small business in Washington, Iowa, they typically don't have the money to fund its start-up and first few years of operation. So, the first step is often getting a loan from a bank. However, if the business fails, and the borrower can't make payments, or the lender engages in some type of unlawful conduct, the aggrieved party is going to seek redress. In some cases, the parties will have to resort to civil litigation to resolve their conflict.

Breach of Contract: When a Washington, Iowa business agrees to provide something of value (a product or service) in exchange for something else of value (typically money), a contract is formed. A contract, put simply, is any agreement that the law will enforce. Contracts can be very simple, or incredibly intricate. In either case, if one party fails to perform under the terms of the contract, commercial litigation is one way to resolve the ensuing conflict.

How Can a Washington, Iowa Commercial Litigation Lawyer Help?

Business owners in Washington, Iowa are probably aware of the fact that commercial litigation can always be just around the corner, and just about any business deal that goes bad can trigger it. It's advisable, therefore, to take some simple steps to prepare for possibly civil litigation, so it will only be minimally disruptive to your business, should it happen in the future.

On that front, the single best thing you can do is, by far, to seek the advice of an efficient Washington, Iowa commercial litigation attorney. Your lawyer can advise you on practical steps you can take to minimize the chances of business litigation occurring in the first place, and give you the best possible chance of winning if commercial litigation is unavoidable.