Contracts are established in all different manners and situations in Florida. Whether it is a standard boilerplate transaction between businesses or an individual hiring a professional to complete a job, a contract has terms and conditions with regards to the agreement between the parties. If a party to the contract fails to uphold their part of the agreement, this could be considered a breach of contract, evolving into a possible legal action to address this breach.
Breach of contract
Based on current reports, Harvey Weinstein, the convicted rapist, has filed a suit against his one-time attorney for breach of contract. Jose Baez, an attorney based in Florida who is known for representing Casey Anthony, is being asked for a refund of $1 million in legal fees for his alleged breach of contract.
In this matter, Weinstein asserts that Baez was regularly preoccupied with other matters, would pawn off important work on his case to other attorneys, was frequently unavailable to speak to him about his New York City rape case and providing fraudulent billing records. Baez claims that he left the defense team after six months of joining, stating the Weinstein had tarnished their attorney-client relationship by communicating only through other lawyers and by failing to follow the fee agreement.
Filing a claim
Weinstein recently filed a lawsuit. In the suit, he claimed that he reached a fee agreement with Baez that stated that he pay Baez and another attorney $2 million in monthly payments of $200,000. However, he asserted that this was violated New York Law when he stated in the fee agreement that his retainer was non-refundable and non-negotiable. He further claimed that when he asked Baez for an accounting for work completed, Baez refused and threatened to leave unless he was paid $1 million immediately. A few weeks later, Baez wrote the presiding judge to depart from the case.
A contract creates a obligations for the parties to the agreement. When one or both parties have failed to meet or satisfy these obligations, this is a beach. The damages arising from a breach of contract could be significant, making it imperative that either the terms of the contract be performed or damages recovered for the financial harms suffered by the breach. One should consider their rights and options following a breach so the proper remedy could be sought.
