Contract Litigation — Savannah, Georgia
A contract is only as good as the willingness to enforce it. When the other party breaches — fails to perform, pays late, delivers defective work, or walks away entirely — Chris Rouse takes the dispute to court.
What We Handle
What Contract Litigation Actually Requires
Georgia courts consider not just the written terms but course of dealing, course of performance, and trade usage when interpreting ambiguous contracts. A dispute about what the contract means is often as important as a dispute about whether it was breached.
Winning a breach of contract case requires proving not just that the other party breached, but the amount of damages caused by that breach with reasonable certainty. Documenting your losses — lost profits, additional costs, cover damages — from the outset of the dispute is essential.
Some contract breaches — a party about to divert business, violate a non-compete, or dissipate assets — require emergency relief. Georgia courts can issue temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions when the facts support immediate action. We move quickly when the situation requires it.
Other Litigation Practice Areas
Common Questions
Not always. Oral contracts are enforceable in Georgia with some exceptions — notably contracts for the sale of goods over $500 and contracts that can't be performed within one year, which generally require a writing under the Statute of Frauds. Many business disputes involve oral agreements, course of dealing evidence, and conduct that establishes the terms. We evaluate these cases individually.
Contract validity defenses — lack of consideration, unconscionability, fraud in the inducement, impossibility — are resolved by the court, usually at summary judgment or trial. These defenses vary in strength depending on the facts. We evaluate the specific defense being raised and develop a response based on Georgia contract law.
Generally, the cost to complete the work using another contractor, minus any amount remaining unpaid under the original contract. If the breach caused other consequential damages — lost business, additional costs, property damage — those may be recoverable as well, depending on whether they were foreseeable at the time of contracting. We can evaluate your specific situation.
In Georgia, attorney's fees in contract cases are available when the opposing party has acted in bad faith, been stubbornly litigious, or caused unnecessary trouble and expense. This is a fact-specific determination. Some contracts also include attorney's fees clauses that are enforceable under Georgia law. We identify and pursue fee recovery where it's available.
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Tell us what happened. We'll tell you what the law says and what your options are.