All tagged contracts

Why You Should Be Glad Your Lawyer Is a Stickler for Details

Lawyers, transactional lawyers in particular, are sometimes criticized for being too picky and for paying too much attention to the little things. In his song, “The End of the Innocence,” musician Don Henley even has a famous lyric about it: “Lawyers dwell on small details.” But several recent Louisiana appellate court cases, in different areas of the law, illustrate the often serious pitfalls of minor, technical errors. In many cases, the law sets out very specific, detailed procedures that must be followed, and if they are not, the results can be very serious. The following three cases demonstrate why you should be glad your lawyer is a stickler for details.

Small Case, Important Principles For Written Agreements

A relatively small case, recently decided by the Louisiana state Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit illustrates two important principles: First, a court will often find a way to get around legal technicalities when they are being used by a party to achieve what the court perceives to be an unfair result; and Second, written contracts may always be modified orally or by the conduct of the parties, so be careful what you say and do after the ink is dry.