Pompano Beach Contract Litigation Attorney

The goal in most contract disputes is concrete: enforce the deal you made, recover what a breach cost you, or get out from under an obligation the other side is misusing. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team handles business and real estate disputes for owners, investors, and families in Pompano Beach and across Broward County, and a Pompano Beach contract litigation attorney from our firm can tell you early whether your agreement supports the outcome you want.

Contract cases in this part of Broward County tend to arise from the kind of commerce Pompano Beach is known for: commercial leases for warehouse and light-industrial space, marine and boating-related businesses, construction and renovation agreements, and purchase contracts for real estate that never closed. These cases are won or lost on the wording of the document and on what the parties actually did afterward. We read both, and we build the case around them.

Why Choose the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team for Contract Disputes

The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team represents business owners, investors, and families in contract, partnership, and real estate disputes throughout Broward County, Palm Beach County, and the rest of South Florida, including Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Boca Raton. Complex contract litigation has been at the center of founder Andrew M. Schwartz’s practice for his entire career. He earned his undergraduate degree at Emory University in 1986 and his law degree at the University of Miami in 1989.

Senior Counsel Sundeep Nath, a Northwestern-trained litigator, brings years of business and real estate trial experience in both state and federal courts. That matters in contract work because a dispute can move between a Broward circuit courtroom and the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale depending on the parties and the claims. The firm works as a true legal team: everyone on a matter knows the file, and we keep a strict 24 hour return call policy.

The firm’s track record includes a recent commercial real estate contract case in Broward County. After a 5-day bench trial, the circuit court issued a 32-page final judgment awarding our client specific performance of the contract, meaning the court ordered the deal to be carried out rather than leaving the client with a damages check. Our attorneys are also experienced in mediation and arbitration, and we look for the resolution that fits the client’s goals and budget instead of prolonging a case for its own sake. Much of our work comes from referrals by other attorneys, and we regularly represent clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who hold business or property interests in South Florida, handling the local court appearances so they do not have to travel for every hearing.

Contract Disputes We Litigate in Pompano Beach and Broward County

• Commercial Lease Disputes: Landlords and tenants fight over rent obligations, personal guarantees, common-area charges, improvement allowances, and early termination, often in industrial and retail space near the Pompano Beach corridors where tenant buildouts are expensive and hard to unwind.
• Real Estate Purchase and Sale Contracts: Failed closings raise questions about deposits, financing and inspection contingencies, title defects, and whether a buyer or seller can be compelled to close through specific performance.
• Operating and Shareholder Agreement Breaches: Claims that a member or shareholder ignored buyout terms, transfer restrictions, voting provisions, or distribution rights, frequently tied to a larger business divorce.
• Construction and Contractor Agreements: Payment disputes, change orders, defective or incomplete work, and delay claims under written construction contracts, a steady source of litigation in a market with ongoing renovation and development.
• Loan Documents and Guaranties: Disputes over default, acceleration, repayment terms, and the scope of a personal guaranty signed on behalf of a company.
• Business Purchase and Sale Agreements: Claims arising after a company changes hands, including misrepresentations about financials, undisclosed liabilities, and failure to honor earn-out or non-compete terms.
• Missing Funds and Unpaid Distributions: Contract claims paired with demands for an accounting and recovery of money diverted, commingled, or withheld, sometimes with a request for emergency injunctive relief to freeze assets.
• Partnership and Joint Venture Agreements: Disagreements over contributions, profit splits, and the scope of each partner’s duties when a venture sours.

Deadlines and First Steps When a Contract Is Breached

Start by gathering the signed agreement, every amendment, and the correspondence that shows how the parties performed. Emails, invoices, texts, and payment records often decide a case, because courts look at the written terms and at the parties’ course of dealing. Do not delete anything, and avoid sending angry messages to the other side that can later be used to characterize your own conduct.

Limitations periods set the outer boundary. Florida gives five years to sue on a contract founded on a written instrument. A contract that is oral or implied carries four years. An action to rescind a contract has four years, and a fraud claim has four years from discovery, subject to an outer cap of 12 years. A claim seeking specific performance carries a much shorter one-year period, so a buyer or seller trying to force a real estate closing cannot wait. The negligence period was cut to two years in 2023, and professional malpractice claims, even those framed as contract claims, also run two years from discovery, so the label on your claim can change your deadline. Because a mislabeled claim can shorten the time you have, have the facts reviewed early.

Where the case is filed depends on the amount in controversy and the parties. Claims above the county court ceiling are heard in circuit court. Broward County cases belong to the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which sits in and for Broward County, and the Pompano Beach area is served through the county’s courthouse system, including the Central Judicial Complex in Fort Lauderdale and the North Regional Courthouse in Deerfield Beach. Larger business disputes can be directed into the Seventeenth Circuit’s complex business division under its administrative order, which handles large business and construction litigation, through a separate filing form submitted with the complaint. If the parties are from different states and the amount is large enough, the case may belong in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, which holds court in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

Check the contract itself before anything else. Many agreements require pre-suit notice, a cure period, mediation, or arbitration, and some include a venue clause or a prevailing-party fee provision. Skipping a required notice step can hand the other side an easy defense, and ignoring an arbitration clause can waste months. A Pompano Beach contract litigation lawyer should read those provisions before a demand letter goes out.

What a Litigator Actually Does in a Contract Case

The first job is to identify what kind of breach occurred and what it is worth. Courts ask whether the breach was material, whether the other party was excused from performing, and what damages flow naturally from the failure. We trace the money, test the opposing party’s performance, and look for defenses such as waiver, prior breach, failure of a condition, or ambiguity in the drafting.

Remedies are chosen with the client’s objective in mind. Damages compensate for loss. Specific performance compels completion of a unique obligation such as a real estate transfer. Rescission unwinds a deal tainted by fraud or mistake. An injunction can stop a party from moving assets, violating a restrictive covenant, or taking action that would make a final judgment meaningless. Where a business relationship is also falling apart, the contract claim often runs alongside claims for breach of fiduciary duty, an accounting, or dissolution of the company.

Most contract disputes do not end at trial. Discovery, depositions, and a well-prepared motion for summary judgment frequently create the leverage for a negotiated resolution, and mediation is common. We prepare every case as though it will be tried, because the strength of that preparation is what makes settlement terms realistic, and we tell clients plainly when the cost of continuing outweighs what remains to be won.

Common Questions About Contract Litigation in Pompano Beach

How long do I have to sue for breach of a written contract in Florida?

Five years for a contract founded on a written instrument. Oral and implied contracts carry four years. Some related claims run on different clocks, so the specific cause of action matters.

Is a verbal agreement enforceable?

Often yes, but proof is harder, and certain agreements, such as those involving real property interests, generally need to be in writing. Emails and texts that confirm the terms can help establish an oral deal.

What is specific performance, and when is it available?

It is a court order requiring a party to perform the contract instead of paying damages. It is most often sought in real estate transactions because each property is unique, and the one-year limitations period makes speed important.

Can I recover my attorney’s fees if I win?

Only if the contract has a fee-shifting provision or a statute provides for it. Many commercial agreements include a prevailing-party clause, which can cut both ways, so it should be weighed before filing.

What if my contract requires arbitration?

A valid arbitration clause generally sends the dispute to arbitration instead of court. We review the clause’s scope, the rules it adopts, and any prerequisites before choosing a path.

Which court will hear my case?

Amount and parties drive the answer. Larger claims go to circuit court, and cases meeting federal requirements can be heard in the Southern District of Florida. Broward cases fall within the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.

My business partner breached our agreement and is also taking company money. Is that one case or two?

Frequently it is one case with several claims: breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and an accounting. Emergency injunctive relief can be sought to keep assets from being spent while the case proceeds.

I signed a personal guaranty for my company. Am I personally liable?

Often yes, if the guaranty is enforceable as written. The exact language, any amendments to the underlying loan or lease, and the lender’s conduct can all affect the outcome.

Can I sue if the other side breached but I also missed a payment?

Possibly. Your own breach can be raised as a defense or reduce recovery, but it does not automatically bar your claim. Whether either breach was material is usually the central fight.

How long does a contract case take in Broward County?

It varies with complexity, the court’s calendar, and how contested the discovery is. Straightforward disputes can resolve in months through negotiation or mediation, while heavily contested cases that reach trial take considerably longer.

I live out of state. Do I have to come to Pompano Beach for every hearing?

No. We handle local court appearances and keep out-of-state clients informed at each stage, with scheduled conference calls at times that work for everyone.

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

Often a demand letter or early negotiation resolves it at modest cost. We discuss the numbers candidly, since legal fees should not outweigh what the dispute is worth.

Serving Contract Litigation Clients Across Pompano Beach and Broward County

We represent clients in Pompano Beach itself, including the areas around the Intracoastal Waterway, the beachfront, the Cypress Creek business district, and the neighborhoods west toward the Turnpike. Our work extends to neighboring Broward communities such as Lighthouse Point, Hillsboro Beach, Deerfield Beach, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, Coral Springs, Parkland, Margate, Coconut Creek, Tamarac, Lauderhill, Sunrise, Plantation, Davie, Hollywood, and Fort Lauderdale. We also serve clients in Palm Beach County, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach, and out-of-state owners from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with business or real estate interests in South Florida.

Speak With a Pompano Beach Contract Litigation Lawyer

If a contract has been breached, or someone is accusing you of breaching one, the strength of your position depends on documents and deadlines that are easier to protect early. Call the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team to talk with a Pompano Beach contract litigation lawyer about what the agreement says, what the other side did, and which path fits your goals and budget.