What To Do In A Construction Or Building Dispute
Updated: Nov 21, 2021
Building disputes can arise for a number of reasons, including building defects, breaches of contracts, and non-compliance with relevant Acts. Most commonly, design oversights/errors and low-quality construction work lead to building disputes.
Here at Arida Lawyers, our law firm specialises in consumer law, contract law, debt recovery, building and construction law, and employment law. We regularly receive enquiries about building and construction law and building and construction disputes. In this article, we’ll discuss what you can do to ensure a fair outcome.
It begins with the contract
How the situation ultimately plays out can sometimes be determined by what happened earlier with the initial building contract. Whether you are dealing with a residential or commercial building contract, it’s very important to work with a professional lawyer who can provide you with legal advice throughout the contract drafting process.
A contract should always be clear, well-written and considerate of all possible issues that could arise. Your building contract may be your best form of defence when a dispute arises, and you will likely need to refer back to it to hold all parties accountable. The last thing you will want is any wishy-washy or unfavourable clauses and conditions.
As a business or contractor, you need to have contingency processes in place to ensure the security of your business operations. As an individual or developer, you similarly need to be prepared for unfavourable situations that may come about.
At Arida Lawyers, we encourage our clients to engage our legal services early so we can remain abreast of the situation and keep your interests at the forefront.
When a dispute arises…
Building and construction disputes can often involve a range of parties. This can include property owners, contractors, professionals, surveyors, suppliers, manufacturers, project managers, and more.
As such, it’s important that all parties can be effectively managed and engaged where appropriate during the dispute handling process. It is common for parties to disagree over who caused the defect or delay, and who should bear the inevitable cost.
To avoid further construction delays and costs, disputes should be dealt with professionally and quickly. The longer the dispute continues, the further the delays will be extended.
No two building and construction disputes are the same, so each will be managed and dealt with in slightly varying manners. What you will certainly need is an experienced legal firm to coordinate the process and ensure you don’t end up with an unfair outcome.
At Arida Lawyers, we can act for clients on both sides of a building contract, including property owners, developers, builders, owner-builders, contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers and project managers. Our qualified legal services firm can manage litigation processes and negotiate resolutions for building disputes. You can rely on our team to advise on the likelihood of success and determine and implement effective legal action to ensure a fair outcome.
If you need assistance with your building and construction contract, contact Arida Lawyers for contract law and building legal services today on 1300 146 390 or info@aridalawyers.com.
This article provides general information relevant to our expert services. It is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. If you are seeking legal advice, you should contact us for a free initial consultation.
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