A contract is a constructional obligation. It’s a written promise to ensure that everyone receives fair treatment. It is breaching contracts against the law, but it’s also morally dubious.

Contracts are to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and not forced to do or provide anything against their will.

Breaching contracts means that people are not getting what they’ve signed up for.

Let’s say we both sign a contract that says that you will mow my lawn every Saturday, and I will give you $10.

One day, you mowed my lawn, but I decided that I didn’t want to spend $10.

It would annoy you because you’ve now wasted your time mowing my lawn, and I’ve not even given you what you deserve.

In business, breaching contracts can result in people losing millions, their jobs, or even their companies.

But what does breaching contracts mean?

Breaching contracts means failing, without legal excuse, to perform any promise included within the contract.

If you fail to do what you’ve agreed to do, you have just breached your contract.

Of course, there may be a good reason, for example, if you are physically or financially unable to honor your promises.

If, however, compliance is possible yet still not carried out, this means a breach of contract.

Ways of breaching contracts

There are several ways of breaching contracts.

The first and least damaging is a minor breach.

This means that one party breaches part of a contract with minor consequences.

An example would be if you sign a contract that says you will get an apple pie if you mow someone’s lawn; however, you get a cherry pie.

In such a situation, you may collect any owed damages (in this example, an apple pie). However, anything else is a no-can-do.

The second is a material breach.

This is when damage results from breaching a contract.

In such a situation, the victim can claim extra compensation.

In our earlier example, let’s say that the victim is allergic to cherries. If they have an allergic reaction, they can claim for the breacher to pay their medical bills.

The third type of breach is a fundamental breach.

This is when a significant and essential part of the contract is not honored.

In such a situation, the victim can sue and terminate the contract.

An excellent example of such a breach will be if someone fails to pay a large sum. Or perhaps someone does not receive the medical or social care they expect.

The consequences for the victim could potentially be life-threatening. That’s why the legal consequences for the breacher are so harsh.

Finally, anticipatory breach.

This is when a contract has not yet been finalized, but there is sufficient evidence to suggest that a breach would have occurred had you not intervened.

If you do ever find yourself as a victim of somebody breaching contracts you hold, the best thing you can do is to find yourself a law firm that’ll be able to help you.

Find an affordable law firm here.

They may well be able to help you sue for damages.

As with breaching, there are many types of damages, and your law firm will help you understand which one to go for.

Types of damages

Compensatory damages are there to leave you in the same position that you were in before the breach.

For example, if you pay for something but don’t receive it, you should receive a refund.

Punitive damages are meant to punish the breaching party. They go beyond righting a wrong.

Nominal damages are friendly gestures; money changes hands after a contract breach did not result in any financial damage.

Often the easiest to deal with, liquidated damages apply when the contract determines how to deal with damages.

Although damages are the most common option, your law firm may also choose to force the breacher to adhere to specific conditions.

Here, a court reprimands them and orders them to obey their contract.

If you’ve paid for a service you’ve not received, a court could force them to perform said services.

Alternatively, the law firm could help you to cancel the contract.

A contract is a constructional, written obligation. To breach a contract means failing to perform any of its promises.

Although breaching contracts can seriously hurt you, it can also be easy to recover from with the help of a good law firm.