Weston Contract Litigation Attorney

A signed agreement that one side has stopped honoring leaves a Weston business owner, investor, or property owner with a hard choice: absorb the loss or take the dispute to court. The Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team handles business and real estate litigation for clients in Weston and across Broward County and Palm Beach County, and contract enforcement sits at the center of that work. If you are searching for a Weston contract litigation attorney, the first questions are usually practical ones: did the other side actually breach, how long do I have to sue, and which court will hear this?

Contract cases are won or lost on specifics. The exact words of the agreement, the emails and invoices that show how the parties really behaved, and the dates on which things happened all matter more than general fairness. A deal that felt clear over a handshake can look very different when a judge reads it line by line, which is why the earliest decisions in a dispute deserve care.

Weston sits in Broward County, so most contract suits arising here land in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, though federal court and arbitration forums come into play depending on the agreement. What follows is a look at the kinds of contract disputes we see, the deadlines that govern them, and how the process unfolds in the local courts.

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

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 South Florida. Founder Andrew M. Schwartz has spent 37 years in litigation, was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1989, and has built his career around complex contract disputes, business divorces, and conflicts among partners, LLC members, and shareholders. He holds an undergraduate degree from Emory University and a law degree from the University of Miami. Senior Counsel Sundeep Nath, a Northwestern-trained litigator, brings years of experience in business and real estate cases in both state and federal courts.

The firm practices as a true legal team, meaning everyone working on a matter knows the file and can answer when you call. A strict 24 hour return call policy applies when we are in court, and conference calls are scheduled at times that work for everyone involved. Our attorneys are experienced in mediation and arbitration as well as courtroom litigation, and we look for the resolution that fits the client’s goals and budget rather than stretching a case out for its own sake.

Contract enforcement is not new work for us. In a recent matter, after a 5-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 result reflects the kind of detailed, document-driven preparation these cases require. We also take referrals from other attorneys, including out of state counsel whose clients have disputes in Florida, and we handle the local court appearances for clients who live elsewhere.

Types of Contract Disputes We Handle for Weston Clients

• Purchase and Sale Agreements: Disputes over business acquisitions, failed closings, and commercial or residential real estate contracts, including cases where a buyer or seller seeks to compel the other side to complete the deal.
• Operating and Shareholder Agreements: Claims that a member or shareholder violated buyout terms, distribution rules, voting provisions, or restrictions written into the company’s governing documents.
• Commercial Leases: Disagreements between landlords and tenants over rent, build-out obligations, default, termination, and what happens to deposits and improvements at the end of the term.
• Loan and Financing Documents: Disputes involving promissory notes, guaranties, and lender or borrower obligations, where the outcome often turns on how the documents allocate risk.
• Construction Contracts: Payment disputes, scope disagreements, and delay claims between owners, contractors, and subcontractors on projects in and around Weston.
• Unpaid Distributions and Missing Funds: Cases where a partner or manager cannot account for company money, including diverted funds, commingled accounts, and disputed capital contributions, often paired with claims for an accounting or breach of fiduciary duty.
• Partnership and Family Business Agreements: Contract disputes between co-owners who are relatives or longtime friends, where the written terms and the parties’ informal understanding have drifted apart.
• Emergency Relief Tied to a Contract: Situations where a breach threatens assets or business operations and waiting for a final judgment would cause harm, calling for a temporary or permanent injunction.

Deadlines and First Steps When a Contract Has Been Breached

Start with the clock. Florida sets different limitations periods depending on how the contract was formed. A lawsuit founded on a written instrument generally must be filed within five years. A claim on an oral or implied contract has four years. An action to rescind a contract also carries four years, and a fraud claim runs four years from discovery, subject to an outer cap of twelve years. Specific performance is the outlier: an action seeking it has only one year. If the remedy you want is to force the other side to complete a deal, waiting even a few months can matter. 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 framed as breach of contract, also has a two-year period, so how a claim is characterized affects the deadline.

Next, gather the paper. Collect the signed agreement and every amendment, side letter, or addendum, then the emails, texts, invoices, bank records, and notices that show performance and breach. Do not alter or delete anything, and stop writing angry messages to the other side; those become exhibits. If your agreement contains a notice-and-cure clause, a mandatory mediation step, or an arbitration provision, follow it carefully, because skipping a required step can derail an otherwise strong claim. Check for a venue clause or an attorney fee provision as well, since both shape the economics of the case.

Then think about where the case will be heard. In Florida, disputes above $50,000 go to circuit court, while claims between $8,000.01 and $50,000 go to county court, and small claims are capped at $8,000. For Weston, the circuit court is the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in and for Broward County, with civil matters handled through the Central Judicial Complex in Fort Lauderdale and regional courthouses including the West Regional Courthouse in Plantation. Broward also operates a complex business division that handles large business and construction litigation, and certain cases can be directed there at filing under the circuit’s administrative order. If the parties are from different states and the amount is large enough, or a federal question is involved, the Southern District of Florida sits in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

Finally, ask whether the situation is urgent. If a partner is moving money out of the company or a counterparty is about to transfer a property, the right first move may be a motion for emergency injunctive relief rather than a slow-moving complaint. A Weston business litigation attorney can tell you in a single conversation whether the facts support that kind of request.

Contract Claims That Turn Into Business Divorces and Property Fights

Many contract disputes are really ownership disputes in disguise. When co-owners of an LLC cannot agree, the contract claim sits beside a larger question: can the company continue? Under Florida’s LLC statute, a court may dissolve an LLC at the request of a member or manager on grounds that include deadlock that threatens irreparable injury, misappropriation or waste of company assets, illegal or fraudulent conduct by those in control, or a situation in which it is no longer reasonably practicable to carry on business under the operating agreement. In these proceedings a court can appoint a receiver or custodian after a hearing, or order a buyout of the petitioning member’s interest. If the operating agreement already contains a deadlock sale mechanism that is started before the court finds deadlock, that mechanism can take the place of a dissolution order.

Corporations have a parallel framework. A shareholder petitioning for dissolution can face an election by the corporation or other shareholders to buy the petitioner’s shares at fair value, and if the parties agree on value and terms within 60 days of the first election, the court enters an order approving the purchase. During the case, a court can issue injunctions and take steps to preserve corporate assets.

Real estate adds another layer. Co-owners who cannot agree about a jointly held property may turn to a partition action, where the court either divides the land or orders it sold and divides the proceeds. Florida appoints commissioners to evaluate whether division in kind is workable, and where heirs inherited the property, a separate statute governing heirs property applies. Title disputes can be resolved through a quiet title action, which asks the court to cancel competing claims and confirm who owns the property. Because our practice spans both litigation and real estate, a contract dispute that spills into ownership or title does not require starting over with a new firm.

Weston Contract Litigation: Common Questions

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

For a contract founded on a written instrument, the period is five years. For oral or implied contracts it is four years. Specific performance actions carry just one year, so the remedy you are seeking affects how quickly you need to act.

What is the difference between damages and specific performance?

Damages are money awarded to compensate for a loss caused by the breach. Specific performance is a court order requiring the breaching party to actually carry out the contract, which is most often sought in real estate and unique-asset deals where money would not make you whole.

Which court would hear my Weston contract case?

Weston is in Broward County, so state court cases are generally filed in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Claims above $50,000 belong in circuit court, and claims from $8,000.01 to $50,000 go to county court. Large business disputes may be assigned to the circuit’s complex business division, and some cases belong in federal court.

Does my contract’s arbitration clause mean I cannot go to court?

Often it does, at least initially. If the agreement requires arbitration, a court will usually send the dispute there instead. Our attorneys have experience in both arbitration and courtroom litigation, so we can evaluate whether the clause applies and how to use it.

What if the contract was only a verbal agreement?

Florida can enforce oral agreements, and the limitations period is four years rather than five. Proof is the challenge, so emails, texts, payment history, and witnesses become critical to showing what the parties agreed.

Can I recover attorney fees if I win?

Only if the contract or a statute allows it. Many commercial agreements include a prevailing-party fee clause, and these provisions can cut both ways, so it is worth reading yours before deciding whether to sue or settle.

What happens if my business partner is draining company funds in breach of our agreement?

You may have claims for breach of fiduciary duty, an accounting, conversion, and recovery of the money. When assets are at risk of being moved or spent, a court can issue injunctive relief while the case is pending.

Is it worth suing over a smaller contract dispute?

Sometimes the better path is a demand letter, negotiation, or mediation. Litigation cost should be weighed against the amount at stake, the strength of your documents, and whether the other side can actually pay a judgment. We aim for cost-effective solutions rather than legal fees that outweigh common sense.

I live in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. Can you handle my Weston contract dispute?

Yes. We regularly represent clients from the tri-state area who have business or real estate interests in South Florida. We handle the court appearances locally and keep you informed so you do not have to travel for every hearing.

Can a contract dispute be resolved without a trial?

Many are. Negotiation, mediation, and arbitration resolve a large share of commercial disputes, and settlement remains possible at any stage. Preparing the case thoroughly from the start usually improves the terms you can negotiate.

What if the other party claims the contract was signed because of fraud or mistake?

Fraud claims in Florida run four years from discovery, with an outer limit of twelve years, and rescission actions carry four years. These theories change the evidence and the remedies available, so they should be raised and evaluated early.

Serving Contract Litigation Clients Across Weston and South Florida

We represent clients in Weston and throughout Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Davie, Sunrise, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Coral Springs, Parkland, Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Pompano Beach, Cooper City, Southwest Ranches, and Tamarac. Our work extends north into Palm Beach County, where we serve clients in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens.

Many of our clients own businesses, investment property, or a share of real estate in these communities while living in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut.

Speak With a Weston Contract Litigation Attorney Today

If a contract has been broken, or if you have been accused of breaking one, the choices you make in the first weeks often shape the whole case. Our Weston contract litigation attorney team can review your agreement, explain the deadlines that apply, and recommend whether negotiation, arbitration, or a lawsuit makes the most sense for your goals and budget. Call the Andrew M. Schwartz Legal Team to schedule a consultation and get a clear read on where you stand.