Interference with Economic Advantage Lawyers

What Do I Do if Someone Interfered and Ruined a Contract I Had with Someone Else?

If you had a contract with someone and a third party sneaked in and caused a breach of the contract, you may have a good claim for breach of contract from the person who breached. You may also have a claim against the party causing the breach for interference with economic advantage.

What Kinds of Things Would I Have to Show to Win an Interference with Economic Advantage Claim in Court?

Winning this claim is tough, but not impossible. The likelihood of winning such a claim depends on the specific facts of your situation. Assuming you can show the following facts, you might have a good chance of winning:

• Show a valid existing contract or economic opportunity  All states require that the person bringing this claim have a valid, existing contract, or economic opportunity. Whether you have a valid contract is usually straightforward. On the other hand, an "economic opportunity" is not an exact term, and one that you may have to argue over in court. If there was no contract, there may still be a case under Interference with prospective advantage.
• Show knowledge of the economic opportunity   Imperative to this claim is that the party who caused your business partner to breach must have known you had a valid contract with you business partner. This is very important in all states that recognize this claim.
• Show an intentional interference   All states require that you show some type of actual intentional interference by the third party you want to sue. Intentional simply means that that third party knew about your contract and intentionally interfered. Some states require that the third party maliciously interfered with your potential deal. Still other states require that the third party used illegal means to interfere with your deal.
• Show causation   The final and most difficult aspect of this claim is "causation." That is, you must show that the disruption of your economic opportunity was caused by or linked to the third party's action. Generally, courts ask two questions to satisfy the causation problem:
• Did the third party actively take steps to induce the breach?
• If so, would the contract still have been performed absent the third parties interference?

Should I Contact a Lawyer?

Looking over the list above, you should be able to get some sense of whether you have a case for interference with economic advantage. Nonetheless, it is important to talk to a business attorney to see how strong your case is. An attorney will evaluate your case and determine whether it is worth your time and money to pursue the person who has interfered with your economic advantage.