Keeping an eye on the competition is a part of every business’s operations. However, if your competitors take steps to undermine the contracts that you depend on in your daily operations, that interference can cause significant damage. What can you do if a person or business undermines your contracts?
How might a third party interfere with your contract?
A person or business can interfere with a contract in a wide variety of ways. Some of the many forms that wrongful interference can take include:
- Charging an unreasonably low price to undercut another business’s contractually agreed-upon price for business supplies and cause the buyer to breach that contract
- Threatening to discontinue business with one party in the contract if they don’t breach the contract
- Intentionally undermining the ability of one party in the contract to deliver what they promised
- Spreading misinformation in an effort to damage negotiations on a prospective contract
When does contract interference justify legal action?
No matter what form of interference damaged your business and its operations, your legal options depend on the specifics of your situation. To prove that a person or business wrongfully interfered with your contract, you must prove:
- The existence of a prospective contractual relationship
- Knowledge of the part of the third party about the contract
- Actions taken to intentionally interfere with the contract
- An absence of legal justification for the breach of contract
- Harm caused by the breach of contract
If someone wrongfully interfered with an important contract and damaged your business as a result, there are legal remedies available to you. Pursuing litigation may allow you to offset the impact of the breach of contract and protect your business or your career.