Before you enter into any employment or business agreement, it is essential that you understand all the clauses mentioned. However, this is not easy without legal training because they use a technical language that is challenging to comprehend. This is why you need a lawyer to evaluate the terms of an agreement for your best interests.
Call our New Jersey employment law attorneys for legal advice and representation if you are handling School contract negotiations or an agreement in any other profession. Below are some tips for contract negotiations:
Break them into specific parts
Some contracts will be written in such a way that you must accept all the terms in order to move forward with the negotiation. In this case, you should break the contract into specific sections and agree on each separately after reading and understanding the terms. This will make you reach a solution in episodes instead of battling one big war that you may not win.
Take control
If you are discussing the terms of your contract agreement, you will have an advantage when you take control of the topics and the pace of your negotiation. Even for lawyers, the one who drafts the agreement decides what is included and in what order. Ask for a fair approach and let the other party handle the burden of convincing you why you should make an exemption in a specific situation. Always stick to the objective and principles of fairness that are easy to justify.
Do your research
Having reliable information gives you leverage in any situation. As a worker seeking a job in an institution, you need to research the salary of such a job in another organization and have the facts before going in to negotiate. This allows you to evaluate the current offer and ask for changes before committing yourself to the agreement.
Maximize leverage
The contract will not always adequately protect you when it is first presented. It is up to you to maximize leverage before entering into a legally binding agreement. The types of issues that you discuss at this point include:
- Compensation such as commissions and incentives
- Job descriptions and the specific duties
- Benefits such as retirement plans
- Restrictive non-competition clauses
It is essential that you address these issues and others you see fit because failure to do this will hurt you after some time. What is missing can leave you unprotected even if you think that the first draft of the school employment agreement is fair and standard.
Protecting your rights in a contract negotiation
When developing an employment contract in any profession, you need an experienced lawyer to review the clauses and protect your interests. Otherwise, you can sign a contract that denies you important rights or prevents you from taking advantage of other valuable opportunities in the future.
Our New Jersey employment law attorneys have years of experience in contractual matters assisting clients in protecting their interests before signing anything. Therefore, you are assured that you are getting the best representation there is. Schedule an appointment online with Sleemi Law or call the offices at 973-354-2931.
