Business & company › Commercial contract dispute
Client ended our contract early
What usually matters in this situation, and the papers to keep ready before you meet an advocate or free legal aid (call 15100).
Make my own list — free, 2 minutesYour situation
- What went wrong? Contract wrongly terminated
Papers to gather
- Signed contract with annexures, amendments and SOWs
The foundation. Where: Your files. - Delivery records, milestones, acceptance and rejection notes
Central to breach. Where: Project records, email. - Payment records and invoices
Shows the financial position. Where: Accounts.
You may also need, depending on your answers
- Emails, quotations, POs and messages forming the deal — A contract can be formed by correspondence.
- Notices of breach, termination and replies — Fixes timeline and cure periods.
- Loss calculation with supporting bills, lost orders, replacement costs — Courts and tribunals award proven loss.
- Steps you took to limit the loss — Required for damages.
What the law says
Commercial disputes of ₹3 lakh or more go to commercial courts, generally after mandatory pre-institution mediation unless urgent interim relief is needed. If the contract has an arbitration clause, courts usually refer the dispute to arbitration but can grant interim protection.
General information, not legal advice.
Saboot will also ask
- Which side are you on?
- What kind of deal?
- Value of the dispute?
- Does the contract have an arbitration clause?
Similar situations
- Supplier sent poor-quality material
- Franchise owner broke the agreement
- Ex-employee or partner leaked business secrets
- Commercial lease dispute with landlord
Sources
- Indian Contract Act, 1872
- Specific Relief Act, 1963
- Commercial Courts Act, 2015
The full guide: A business deal or contract was broken · All situations