ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, CHARLES, ST. MARY’S & PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTIES.
Contract Disputes | Haskell & Dyer
A Written Contract Is Your Strongest Evidence.
When one side does not hold up their end, the contract is your strongest evidence. We enforce agreements, defend against weak claims, and pursue the full amount you are owed, in business and personal deals alike.
Most Contract Cases Never See a Jury
The fight is usually won before trial.
Court data is consistent: only about 3% of contract and civil cases reach a trial. The rest settle or resolve another way. That is not a reason to wait. The strong settlements go to the side that prepared as if it would try the case. We build yours that way from day one.
Why the Contract Matters
A Written Agreement Is a Strong Place to Stand
When the terms are in writing, the argument is about enforcement, not about whose memory is right.
Your Position
The Terms Are on Paper
A signed contract names the parties, the obligations, and the price. When the other side defaults, you are enforcing a document they agreed to, not arguing over a vague understanding. That clarity is why contract claims are some of the most straightforward civil cases to pursue.
Both Sides of It
We Enforce and We Defend
Sometimes you are owed money. Sometimes you are accused of a breach you did not commit, or one the other side caused. We do both: we pursue what a broken contract cost you, and we defend against weak or inflated claims aimed at you.
By the Numbers
What the Court Data Shows
Contract litigation rewards preparation and clear paperwork. The numbers explain why.
57-65%
the plaintiff win rate in contract trials
U.S. DOJ, BJS
~$35,000
median award in contract trials, higher than tort cases
U.S. DOJ, BJS
3 years
Maryland's general deadline to sue on many claims
Maryland law
What We Handle
The Contract Disputes We Take
If a written agreement set the terms and one side did not honor them, we can likely help.
Breach of contract
Non-compete agreements
Service agreements
Vendor and supply contracts
Enforcement and defense
Interest and costs the contract allows
We handle contract disputes across Calvert, St. Mary's, Prince George's, Charles, and Anne Arundel counties.
Attorney Insight
A contract is a promise the law will help you keep. When the other side breaks it, you are not begging for a favor. You are holding them to their own words, and that is a strong place to stand.
Matthew J. Dyer, Esq.
The Law Offices of Haskell & Dyer
A Closer Look
Why Preparation Decides Contract Cases
Most contract disputes settle. Court data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics shows only about 3% of civil cases reach a trial at all. So if nearly everything settles, what decides who settles well? Preparation. The side that has organized the contract, the correspondence, and the proof of performance negotiates from strength. The side that is scrambling takes what it can get.
The win rates back this up. In contract trials, plaintiffs prevailed in 57% to 65% of cases, and the median contract award ran about $35,000, higher than the typical tort case. Those are trial numbers, but they shape settlements too, because both sides price a deal against what a courtroom would likely do. A strong, well-documented contract claim raises that price in your favor.
There is a clock on all of it. Maryland generally gives you 3 years to sue on many claims, with some claims set differently. Once that window closes, even a clear breach may be unenforceable. We move while the evidence is fresh and the deadline is open, and we tell you honestly whether your case is one to push or one to settle early. The goal is the best result for the least cost, not a fight for its own sake.
Why It Matters
What a Broken Contract Costs
The unpaid amount is only the start. A breach can ripple through your business or your finances for months.
The Balance
The full amount they agreed to pay
The Extras
Interest and costs the contract allows
The Deadline
Your right to sue before it expires
Your Position
Strongest while the evidence is fresh
How We Handle a Contract Dispute
We read the agreement closely, try the cheaper path first, and prepare every case as if it will be tried.
We Read the Agreement
We study the terms to find every obligation owed, including interest and the costs of collection the contract allows.
We Demand First
A demand grounded in the contract resolves many disputes without a lawsuit, faster and cheaper than filing.
We File When Needed
If the other side will not engage, we sue on the breach, where a written contract gives you a clear, strong claim.
We Prepare to Win
We build the case fully, which is exactly what produces strong settlements and, if needed, a strong day in court.
Common Questions
Contract Disputes, Answered
Do most contract cases go to trial?
No. Court data shows only about 3% of civil cases, including contract cases, are resolved by a trial. The rest settle or resolve another way. The catch is that the best settlements go to the side that prepared as if it would try the case. We build yours that way, which strengthens your position whether you settle or not.
How long do I have to sue on a contract in Maryland?
Maryland generally allows 3 years to sue on many claims, with some claims set to different periods and certain sealed instruments running longer. Because the exact deadline depends on your situation, it is worth confirming early. Once the window closes, a court may refuse to enforce even a clear breach.
Can I recover more than the unpaid amount?
Often, yes. Many contracts provide for interest, late fees, or the costs of collection, and where they do, those can be pursued along with the principal. What you can recover depends on the language of your agreement and the facts, so we review the document and give you a realistic picture rather than a promise.
The other side says I breached first. What now?
That is a common defense, and it does not automatically win. We look at the contract and the sequence of events to see whether their claim has any real basis. In many cases it does not. Where there is a genuine dispute about who performed and who did not, we address it directly and build the record in your favor.
Is a demand letter really worth it before suing?
Usually. A formal demand grounded in the contract, on law-firm letterhead, resolves many disputes because the other side understands the next step is a lawsuit they are likely to lose. It is faster and cheaper than filing. When a demand does not work, we are ready to move to court.
You Held Up Your End. Let's Enforce Theirs.
A written agreement is a strong place to stand, but only while the deadline to sue is open. Bring us the contract and the paperwork, and we will give you an honest read and pursue what you are owed. The first conversation is free.
Available 24/7 for urgent matters: 240-687-0179