Contracts are legal documents that are used in the business world to hold parties who enter into agreements with one another accountable to one another. When one party fails to hold up his or her end of the deal, this is known as a breach of contract. When a breach of contract occurs, the offended party may seek compensation for any damages suffered by pursuing civil litigation in a Massachusetts court.

A breach of contract may occur for several reasons. The most common are the failure to stick to timelines, failure to perform or the failure to perform as agreed to. When a breach of contract occurs, it can cost the offended party substantially.

Following a breach of contract, the offended party has a couple of options to recover his or her losses. First, he or she can seek damages. This can be done through negotiations or litigation. Seeking damages alone does not dissolve the contract.

Second, he or she can seek to cancel the contract and seek restitution. Canceling the contract relieves both parties of their obligations. Restitution offers relief to the non-breaching party only.

Dealing with a breach of contract can be a nasty affair. Civil litigation may or may not be required to handle such an issue. Every case is different. An experienced attorney can review the finer details of one’s situation and help one decide if trying to settle the matter out of court is an option or if taking the issue before a Massachusetts court is the more appropriate legal course. No matter which way one’s case goes, legal counsel will help one achieve maximum compensation for any resulting losses.