Greenacres Contract Litigation Attorney

Most contract disputes end the same way the business relationship did: someone holds a signed document, the other side reads it differently, and money or property is sitting in the balance. The goal in these cases is to get the agreement enforced the way it was written, recover what you are owed, or defend against a claim that stretches the document past what it says. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team handles business and real estate litigation for owners, investors, and families in Greenacres, throughout Palm Beach County, and into neighboring Broward County, and it is the type of Greenacres contract litigation attorney team that reads the whole file before taking a position.

Contract cases rarely turn on a dramatic moment. They turn on a clause, a date, an email chain, or a history of how the parties actually behaved. A purchase agreement with a vague closing condition, an operating agreement that says nothing about a deadlocked vote, or a commercial lease with a poorly drafted default provision can each produce a lawsuit worth far more than the paper it is printed on.

Greenacres sits in the middle of a busy Palm Beach County commercial corridor, with retail centers, small manufacturers, contractors, landlords, and family-owned companies that sign agreements every day. When one of those agreements goes wrong, the questions come quickly: Was there a breach? What does the contract allow me to do? How long do I have to sue? What can I get, and what will it cost to get it?

What Contract Litigation Covers for Greenacres Businesses and Owners

The word “contract” covers a lot of ground, and the type of agreement shapes the strategy. These are the situations we see most often and how they tend to play out.

• Purchase and Sale Agreements: Failed closings on commercial or residential property, disputes over deposits, financing and inspection contingencies, and claims that a buyer or seller walked away without justification. Some of these cases end with a request that the court order the deal to be completed.
• Operating, Shareholder, and Partnership Agreements: Disputes between co-owners over buyout terms, management authority, profit splits, and whether one owner has breached the agreement that governs the company.
• Commercial Leases: Defaults, unpaid rent, improper termination, build-out and repair obligations, personal guaranties, and disagreements over what the lease actually requires of a tenant or landlord.
• Loan Documents and Guaranties: Claims between lenders, borrowers, and guarantors, including disputes about default, acceleration, and who is personally exposed when a business note goes unpaid.
• Construction Contracts: Payment disputes between owners, general contractors, and subcontractors, along with defective-work claims and disagreements over change orders and scope.
• Unpaid Distributions and Missing Money: Cases where a partner or manager cannot account for company funds, capital contributions are disputed, or company money has been diverted or commingled with personal accounts.
• Non-Performance and Business Services Agreements: Vendor, supplier, and service contracts where one side did not deliver what was promised, or where a counterparty claims a breach that never occurred.

Why Choose Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team for Contract Disputes

The Andrew M. Andrew M. Schwartz, the firm’s founder, has spent 37 years in litigation and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989. He earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University in 1986 and his law degree from the University of Miami in 1989. Contract enforcement and interpretation have been at the center of his practice for his entire career, which matters because these cases are won or lost on detail.

Andrew is joined by Sundeep Nath, Senior Counsel, a Northwestern-trained litigator with years of experience in business and real estate cases in state and federal courts. The firm works as a true legal team, so everyone handling your matter knows the file. When you call, someone who understands your case answers, and the firm keeps a strict 24 hour return call policy when attorneys are in court.

The results reflect that approach. After a five-day bench trial, a Broward County Circuit Court judge issued a 32-page final judgment awarding the firm’s client specific performance of a commercial real estate contract. That is the kind of outcome that requires careful trial preparation and a clear reading of the agreement and the parties’ dealings.

Andrew often tells clients that many of them arrive wanting the most aggressive lawyer available, and what they actually need is someone who acts as the situation requires and uses finesse when finesse will do. The firm is experienced in mediation and arbitration as well as courtroom litigation, and it looks for the resolution that fits your goals and budget rather than stretching a case out for its own sake.

Deadlines That Decide Whether a Contract Claim Survives

Florida sets different filing deadlines depending on the kind of claim, and missing one can end a case before the merits are ever discussed. A lawsuit on a written contract must be filed within five years. A claim based on an oral or implied agreement has four years. An action to rescind a contract also carries four years, and a fraud claim runs four years from discovery, with an outer limit of twelve years.

The shortest deadline in this area is for specific performance, where a court is asked to order a party to carry out a contract, such as completing a property sale. That action has a one-year period. If you want a court to force a closing rather than simply award damages, waiting to see whether the other side comes around can cost you the remedy you actually want.

Two other deadlines catch people off guard. A professional malpractice claim, whether framed as a contract or tort claim, has a two-year period that runs from when the problem was or should have been discovered. And negligence claims were cut from four years to two for causes of action arising after March 24, 2023. If your dispute mixes contract and negligence theories, the shorter clock may govern part of it. A judgment from a Florida court, once obtained, can be enforced for twenty years.

What to Do Right Now If a Contract Has Been Breached

Start by gathering the documents before the tone of the dispute changes. That means the signed agreement and every amendment, the emails and text messages about performance, invoices, payment records, bank statements, and any notices sent or received. Contract cases often hinge on the course of dealing between the parties, so informal messages that seem unimportant can carry real weight. Save everything, and stop deleting anything related to the deal.

Read the agreement for the clauses that control the fight: notice and cure requirements, dispute resolution or arbitration provisions, attorney fee language, venue and governing law, and any deadline to make a claim. Many agreements require written notice of default before a lawsuit can be filed, and sending a sloppy demand letter can hurt you. Talk to a lawyer before you send anything accusatory, and avoid admissions or threats in writing.

Then think about where the case will land. Disputes involving amounts up to and including $50,000 generally belong in county court, while larger cases are heard in circuit court. Greenacres is in Palm Beach County, so cases filed here are heard by the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, which sits in and for Palm Beach County, with the main courthouse in West Palm Beach. If the other party or the property is in Broward County, the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit may be the venue, and it has complex business divisions that hear large business and construction disputes. Contracts between parties from different states may also reach the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, which holds court in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

If money or property is at risk of disappearing while the case is pending, say so at the first consultation. Courts can issue temporary and emergency injunctions to stop assets from being moved or spent, but that relief depends on acting quickly and documenting the threat. The most common mistake is waiting months while the other side restructures, transfers, or spends what you are trying to recover.

Frequently Asked Questions About Contract Litigation in Greenacres

What counts as a breach of contract in Florida?

A breach occurs when a party fails to perform something the agreement requires, performs it late or defectively, or repudiates the agreement. To recover, you generally need to show a valid contract, a breach, and damages that resulted. Not every disagreement is a breach, and the exact wording of the agreement usually decides whether one occurred.

How long do I have to file a breach of contract lawsuit?

For a written contract the period is five years, and for an oral or implied contract it is four years. Specific performance has a one-year period, which is much shorter than most people expect.

Can I make the other side complete a deal instead of just paying damages?

Sometimes. Specific performance asks a court to order a party to carry out the contract, and it is most common with real estate because each property is unique. It is an equitable remedy, so the court looks at your own conduct and whether you were ready to perform. The firm has obtained a final judgment of this kind in a commercial real estate case.

Do I need a written contract to sue?

No. Oral and implied agreements can be enforced in Florida, but they are harder to prove and carry a shorter filing period. Texts, emails, payment history, and witnesses often become the evidence.

What if my contract has an arbitration clause?

Then the dispute may have to go to arbitration instead of court, depending on the language. Arbitration can be faster, but it limits appeals and discovery. The firm is experienced in both arbitration and courtroom litigation.

Will I have to pay the other side’s attorney fees if I lose?

Only if the contract or a statute allows fee shifting. Many commercial agreements include an attorney fee clause, and it often works both ways. Check that language before filing, because it can change the economics of the whole case.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller contract dispute?

It depends on the amount, the evidence, and the cost of getting it resolved. Smaller claims may belong in county court or small claims court, where amounts up to $8,000 are handled. A short consultation can tell you whether a demand letter, mediation, or a lawsuit makes sense before fees outrun the recovery.

My business partner breached our operating agreement. Is that a contract case?

Often yes, and it may also involve breach of fiduciary duty, an accounting, or judicial dissolution. Florida law allows court-ordered dissolution of an LLC where owners are deadlocked and irreparable injury is threatened, or where assets are being misappropriated or wasted. The agreement itself may also contain buyout or deadlock sale provisions that control the process.

I live out of state but signed a contract with a Greenacres company. Can you handle it?

Yes. The firm regularly represents clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with business or real estate interests in South Florida, handles the local court appearances, and keeps clients informed so they do not need to travel for every hearing.

How long does a contract case usually take?

It varies with the amount at stake, the number of parties, and how much the facts are disputed. Cases that settle through negotiation or mediation can resolve in months, while those that go to a bench or jury trial take considerably longer. Palm Beach County assigns civil cases to different management tracks, which affects scheduling.

What if the other party has no money to pay a judgment?

That is worth evaluating before filing. Collectability affects whether a case is worth pursuing, and early injunctive relief can sometimes preserve assets. A judgment from a Florida court can be enforced for twenty years, giving you time to pursue collection.

Serving Contract Litigation Clients From Greenacres Across South Florida

The firm represents clients in Greenacres and throughout Palm Beach County, including Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Atlantis, Palm Springs, Haverhill, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach. Our reach continues north through Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Riviera Beach, and south into Boca Raton and the surrounding communities.

We also serve business owners and investors in neighboring Broward County, including Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Plantation, and Fort Lauderdale, and handle matters in the courts that serve both counties. Clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with business partners, tenants, or property in South Florida regularly rely on the firm for contract disputes, partnership conflicts, and real estate litigation.

Speak With a Greenacres Contract Litigation Attorney

If a contract is not being honored, or someone is claiming you broke one, the strongest position comes from understanding the agreement and the deadlines before the other side acts. Our team works to get a clear read on your claim and a practical path forward, whether that means negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or trial.

Call the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team to talk with a Greenacres contract attorney about your dispute. We will review what you have, explain your options, and tell you plainly what we think the case is worth pursuing.