Riviera Beach Contract Litigation Attorney

The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team represents business owners, investors, and families in Riviera Beach and across Palm Beach County and Broward County when a contract stops doing what the parties thought it would do. Whether the dispute is over an unpaid purchase price, a commercial lease, a partnership buyout, or a deal that fell apart days before closing, our firm handles the litigation from the first demand letter through trial.

If you are searching for a Riviera Beach contract litigation attorney, you are probably holding a document that someone else is not honoring, or one that someone is accusing you of breaching. Those two positions feel very different, but the work is similar: reading the exact language, reconstructing how the parties actually behaved, and deciding whether the best result comes from a settlement table or a courtroom. Riviera Beach sits on the working waterfront of Palm Beach County, and the contracts that go wrong here tend to involve marine and industrial property, commercial leases, construction work, and closely held companies.

One point that surprises many clients: how you plead and what remedy you ask for can matter as much as whether the contract was broken. A claim for money damages, a claim to force the other side to perform, and a claim to undo the deal each have their own clock and their own proof. Getting that choice right early is where contract litigation is often won or lost.

What Separates a Contract Claim From the Disputes It Gets Confused With

People often describe a business problem as “a contract case” when the legal claim is something else, and the label affects deadlines and remedies. A true contract claim asks whether a promise was made, whether it was broken, and what the breach cost. A fiduciary duty claim, by contrast, arises from a relationship of trust, such as a manager’s obligations to company members, and can exist even when no contract term was violated. A fraud claim asks whether someone lied to induce the deal. Rescission asks the court to unwind the agreement entirely rather than award damages for breaching it.

These theories are frequently pleaded together, and our attorneys consider all of them when reviewing a dispute. A partner who diverts company money may have breached the operating agreement, breached a fiduciary duty, and committed conversion, and each theory opens different remedies. A buyer who was shown inflated financials may have a fraud claim sitting beside the contract claim. Sorting out which theories are real, and which add risk without adding value, is part of building the case.

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

The Andrew M. Founder Andrew M. Schwartz has spent 37 years in litigation and has practiced in Florida since being 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. Complex contract disputes have been at the center of his practice for his entire career, and the firm also handles clients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut who have business or real estate interests here.

Andrew is joined by Senior Counsel Sundeep Nath, 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 on a matter knows the file, and a strict 24 hour return call policy applies when an attorney is in court and cannot pick up. The firm is experienced in mediation and arbitration as well as courtroom litigation, and we look for the resolution that fits a client’s goals and budget rather than stretching a case out for its own sake.

The results the firm has achieved speak to the kind of contract work we do. After a five-day bench trial in Broward County Circuit Court, the court issued a 32-page final judgment awarding our client specific performance of a commercial real estate contract. That outcome required more than proving a breach. It required persuading a judge to order the other side to actually complete the deal, which depends on careful attention to the contract’s wording and the history of the parties’ dealings.

Contract Disputes We Handle for Riviera Beach Clients

• Commercial Real Estate Purchase and Sale Contracts: Failed closings, disputed deposits, financing and inspection contingencies, and buyers or sellers who walk away. These cases often call for specific performance, which has its own short deadline.
• Operating Agreements and Shareholder Agreements: Buyout formulas, transfer restrictions, deadlock provisions, and expulsion clauses that one owner reads very differently than another.
• Commercial Leases: Rent and escalation disputes, personal guarantees, repair and maintenance obligations, and early termination fights between landlords and business tenants.
• Construction and Contractor Agreements: Payment disputes, change orders, abandoned projects, and defective work claims on commercial and residential projects.
• Loan Documents and Guaranties: Default and acceleration disputes, guarantor liability, and conflicts over what a note or security agreement actually requires.
• Business Sale and Purchase Agreements: Disputes over earnouts, representations and warranties, working capital adjustments, and undisclosed liabilities discovered after closing.
• Unpaid Distributions and Missing Funds: Partners or managers who cannot account for company money, commingled accounts, and disputed capital contributions, often paired with claims for an accounting.
• Family and Friend Business Agreements: Handshake deals and thin written agreements between relatives or longtime friends, where the paperwork says little and the relationship says a lot.

What to Do Right Now if a Contract Is Being Breached

Start with the document itself. Pull the signed agreement, every amendment, and any side letters, and read the sections on notice, default, cure periods, dispute resolution, and attorney fees. Many contracts require written notice and a chance to fix a problem before a lawsuit can begin, and skipping that step can hurt your case. Some also contain an arbitration clause or a venue provision that dictates where a dispute must be heard, so know what yours says before you act.

Next, preserve the paper trail. Save emails, texts, invoices, bank statements, and anything showing how the parties performed in practice. Do not delete messages, even embarrassing ones, and avoid arguing the merits by text. If money is leaving a company or property is about to be transferred, tell your attorney immediately, because emergency injunctive relief may be available to freeze the situation while the case is pending. Waiting can mean the assets are gone before a court ever rules.

Watch the calendar, because Florida’s limitation periods differ sharply depending on the claim. A lawsuit on a written contract generally must be filed within five years. A claim on an oral or implied agreement has four years. Rescission has four years, fraud has four years from discovery with an outer limit of twelve, and an action seeking specific performance has just one year. That last deadline catches people off guard, especially in real estate deals where a seller or buyer assumes there is plenty of time. The 2023 change that shortened the negligence deadline to two years did not alter the five-year period for written contracts, but a professional malpractice claim, even one tied to a contract, carries a two-year period running from discovery.

Where the case is filed depends mostly on the amount at stake. Claims above the county court ceiling belong in circuit court, and for a Riviera Beach dispute that means the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, which sits in and for Palm Beach County, with civil cases heard at the main courthouse in West Palm Beach. Smaller claims go to county court, and claims at the lowest level go to small claims. Disputes between parties in different states, or those raising federal questions, may be heard in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, which holds court in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. If the other side is in Broward County, the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit may be the proper venue, and its complex business division handles large business and construction cases. A court proceeding is not always the first stop; many contract disputes resolve in mediation or arbitration, and we pursue that path when it serves the client.

A common mistake is spending months in informal negotiation while a deadline quietly runs. Another is accepting partial payment or signing a casual email “agreement” that changes the terms of the original contract. Before you do either, talk to an attorney who can tell you what that step might cost you.

Choosing the Remedy: Damages, Performance, or Unwinding the Deal

Winning on liability is only half the work; the other half is deciding what you actually want. Money damages compensate for the loss caused by the breach and are the default remedy. They work well when the loss can be measured and the other side can pay. They work poorly when the thing you contracted for is unique, such as a particular piece of real estate or a business interest.

That is where specific performance comes in, ordering the breaching party to carry out the contract. It is an equitable remedy, which means the court weighs fairness and your own conduct, and it requires you to have been ready, willing, and able to perform your side. Rescission, by contrast, cancels the contract and tries to put everyone back where they started, and it generally fits cases involving fraud, mistake, or a failure so fundamental that the deal makes no sense to continue. In urgent situations, temporary and permanent injunctions can hold the status quo in place while the court sorts out who is right. Our attorneys pick the remedy that fits the client’s objective instead of reflexively asking for money.

Questions Riviera Beach Clients Ask About Contract Litigation

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

Generally five years for a claim founded on a written instrument. Oral and implied contract claims have four years. Because different claims and remedies carry different periods, the deadline for your case depends on what you are actually asking the court to do.

Is the deadline shorter if I want the court to force the other side to perform?

Yes. An action for specific performance has a one-year limitation period, which is much shorter than the period for damages. If you want the deal completed rather than just compensation, do not wait.

Does an oral agreement count as a contract?

Often it does, though it is harder to prove, and certain agreements, such as many real estate transactions, must be in writing to be enforceable. Texts, emails, invoices, and the parties’ conduct frequently supply the proof that a handshake deal lacks.

Which court will hear my case?

That depends on the dollar amount and the parties. Larger claims go to circuit court, which for Riviera Beach is the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County. Mid-sized claims go to county court, small claims to small claims court, and some cases belong in federal court. Contract clauses can also send the dispute to arbitration or to a particular venue.

Can I recover my attorney fees if I win?

Only if the contract or a statute provides for it. Many commercial agreements include a prevailing-party fee clause, and those clauses can cut both ways, so it is worth checking before you file or respond to a lawsuit.

The other side says I breached first. Does that end my claim?

Not necessarily. Courts look at whether a breach was material and whether the other party excused or waived it. A minor lapse by you does not automatically release the other side from its obligations, but a serious one can change the outcome, so the sequence of events matters.

My business partner is the one breaching our operating agreement. Is that a contract case or a business divorce?

Often both. A breach of an operating or shareholder agreement is a contract claim, but when the partner is also diverting funds or acting against the company, fiduciary duty, accounting, and judicial dissolution claims may apply as well. Florida law allows a court to dissolve an LLC in situations such as owner deadlock that threatens irreparable harm, or misappropriation and waste of company assets.

Can a court freeze assets while the case is pending?

In appropriate circumstances, yes. A court can issue emergency or temporary injunctive relief to stop assets from being moved or spent, and in a dissolution proceeding it can appoint a receiver or custodian after a hearing. These tools are for urgent situations and require a real showing, not just a hunch.

I live in New York or New Jersey but the contract involves Palm Beach County property. Do I have to come to Florida?

Not for every step. We handle the local court appearances and proceedings and keep out-of-state clients informed, so you are not traveling for each hearing. Your presence may still be needed for certain events such as depositions, mediation, or trial.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer if the amount in dispute is modest?

Often a short consultation is worth it even for a smaller claim, because an early letter or a correctly framed demand can resolve things before costs grow. Our attorneys talk through the economics honestly, since legal fees that outweigh the recovery make little sense.

Can a contract dispute be resolved without a trial?

Frequently. Negotiation, mediation, and arbitration resolve many cases, and some contracts require them. We have experience in each and choose the route most likely to reach the client’s goals efficiently.

Serving Contract Litigation Clients From Riviera Beach Across South Florida

We represent clients from Riviera Beach and the neighboring communities of Palm Beach Shores, Singer Island, Lake Park, North Palm Beach, and West Palm Beach. Our work extends across Palm Beach County through Palm Beach Gardens, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton. We also serve clients in Broward County, including Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Hollywood, and the surrounding areas. Business owners and investors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with companies, partners, or property here are part of our regular practice as well, and other attorneys refer cases to us when their clients have disputes in South Florida.

Speak With a Riviera Beach Contract Litigation Attorney

A broken contract rarely gets easier to fix with time, and some of your options expire on short deadlines. If you are weighing a lawsuit, responding to one, or trying to figure out whether a deal can still be saved, the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team can review the agreement and tell you where you stand. Call to schedule a consultation with a Riviera Beach contract litigation attorney who will give you a straight read on your options and your costs.