Partnership disputes can be a harrowing time for any person or company. You might have entered into a business agreement with a person whom you trusted with your finances, your ideas, and your time and effort. If this trust turns out to be misplaced, then you might have to do everything you can to protect your assets in the business, including taking that partner to court. However, court and lawyer fees can be very expensive and any partnership disputes could cast your business in a negative light. Before you take the case to court, consider the following tips for resolving your partnership dispute quietly.

1. Avoid Emotion

Regardless if your partner used to be your best friend, you are going to need to treat him or her as a possible liability to the company. You will want to keep emotion out of your actions and decisions with regards to the partner and the business. In order to do this, write down everything that you might need to bring up with your partner in order to get the case resolved, such as merger decisions, choices about advertising venues, or other problems that might have been brought up. Once you have a comprehensive list, write down exactly how you are going to approach him or her about these problems. Essentially, write a dialogue. Sleep on it for one night and then look at it again. Check to make sure that you haven't used any emotionally loaded statements. If you have, revise and let it sit for a few hours before looking over it again. Continue doing this until you are sure that you will be able to talk to your partner without getting emotional.

2. Write Down What You Want Out of a Situation

The next step is to write down what you want out of the situation. If you and your partner have gotten into a disagreement about how to pay back investors, then you need to have a workable plan that you are okay with. You can't just go into a situation and say that your partner's plan doesn't work without providing a viable alternative. Write down a best case scenario for each situation as well as a level of compromise that you would be willing to reach. Bring this paper with you when you approach your partner.

3. Get Any Decisions in Writing

Finally, when you and your partner come to an agreement, make sure that you get that agreement in writing. This will mean that both you and your partner are being held accountable to what you both have agreed to and will increase the chances of the agreement standing firm.

If you are not able to reach a compromise with your partner, talk to a commercial litigation attorney such as D.B. Clark Law Office.

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