A breach contract lawyer helps a business decide whether a signed deal was broken, what losses it can prove, and how to enforce its rights. Ayala Law PA focuses on business litigation in Florida, including contract disputes handled in Florida courts and arbitration. This page explains what these cases involve and what to expect. The firm’s only office is at 1646 W Snow Ave in Tampa, and it serves businesses in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, Temple Terrace and the wider Tampa Bay area.
What a Breach of Contract Lawyer Does for Businesses
A breach contract lawyer starts by reading the agreement. That includes the written terms, emails, side agreements, the performance record, and any notices the contract requires. The lawyer then measures the losses the breach caused.
Breaches take many forms. A supplier halts deliveries. A subcontractor goes unpaid. A buyer backs out of a purchase agreement. A partner ignores the operating agreement. Each case asks whether the other side broke a promise the deal required.
This page is for business owners, entrepreneurs, contractors, subcontractors, shareholders and partners who think a deal has gone wrong. The dispute may be commercial, construction, real estate, shareholder or international trade in nature.
If a partner has quit delivering or a signed deal is being ignored, you may have a claim worth reviewing, and our team is ready to talk it through with you. Talk it through with our team — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Contract Disputes the Firm Handles
Ayala Law PA focuses on business litigation, including commercial, construction, real estate, shareholder and international trade matters.
- Commercial and contract disputes: supply, service and sales agreements that are not performed as written.
- Construction litigation: contractor and subcontractor disputes, lien foreclosure and construction contract fraud.
- Shareholder and partnership disputes: breaches of shareholder or partnership agreements.
- Real estate litigation: disputes over property deals and related contracts.
- International trade litigation: cross-border disputes, including sales of goods.
Its official CISG text is published by UNCITRAL.
Disputes can proceed in Florida state courts or in arbitration, based on what the contract says.
What You Must Prove in a Breach of Contract Claim
Documents carry most of the weight. Keep signed agreements, change orders, emails, invoices, payment records, delivery records and copies of every notice you sent.
Read the notice and cure terms closely. Many contracts require written notice and a chance to fix the problem before a lawsuit. Skipping those steps can hurt a claim.
Expect the other side to ask whether you did your part. Your own performance is part of the story, so be ready to show it. A written timeline with dates makes the review faster.
Contracts That May Be Void or Unenforceable
Writing rules also matter. Under Fla. Stat. § 725.01, certain agreements must be in a writing signed by the party to be charged. Fla. Stat. § 725.01 reads: “unless the agreement or promise upon which such action shall be brought, or some note or memorandum thereof shall be in writing and signed by the party to be charged therewith or by some other person by her or him thereunto lawfully authorized.” The list includes contracts for the sale of lands, leases for longer than one year, and agreements not to be performed within one year of being made. Fla. Stat. § 725.01 reads: “unless the agreement or promise upon which such action shall be brought, or some note or memorandum thereof shall be in writing and signed by the party to be charged therewith or by some other person by her or him thereunto lawfully authorized.”
Proving its terms is harder, though, and the paperwork you keep becomes the proof.
For sales of goods priced at $500 or more, Fla. Stat. § 672.201 generally requires a signed record, with exceptions. That rule was amended in 2025.
What Damages May Be Recoverable
They can include direct costs, such as the added expense of replacing work or materials.
Proof is what turns a loss into a number. Invoices, bids, replacement quotes, lost-job records and payment history all matter.
Check the contract for attorney fee or interest clauses. Those terms can change the math, so read them before you calculate a demand.
Judgments carry interest. Under Fla. Stat. § 55.03, the Chief Financial Officer sets the statutory rate each quarter. A judgment’s rate is fixed when the judgment is obtained and then adjusted each January 1 until it is paid. Judgments entered by the clerk of the court under ss. 55.141, 61.14, 938.29, and 938.30 are not adjusted each year.
No one can promise a dollar figure before the records are reviewed.
How a Breach of Contract Matter Moves Forward
A typical matter moves through document review, a claim assessment, a demand or negotiation, and then a filing in court or arbitration.
- Intake and document review. You share the agreement, amendments, correspondence, invoices and performance records.
- Claim assessment. We look at defenses, notice requirements and whether the contract has an arbitration clause.
- Demand or negotiation. Pre-suit steps happen where the contract or strategy calls for them.
- Filing and next steps. The case goes to Florida state court or arbitration, followed by discovery, motions and, where it fits, mediation or trial.
If the contract has an arbitration clause, Fla. Stat. § 682.02 makes that agreement valid and enforceable, except on grounds that exist to revoke any contract. Under Section 2 of the Federal Arbitration Act, a written provision in a maritime transaction, or in a contract evidencing a transaction involving commerce, to settle by arbitration a controversy arising out of that contract or transaction is valid, irrevocable, and enforceable, save upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract or as otherwise provided in chapter 4.
Timing matters. Fla. Stat. § 95.11 sets different limits for different claims. A contract term that shortens the time to sue is void under Fla. Stat. § 95.03.
Not sure what your next step is?
Talk it through with our team — we can walk you through how a situation like yours is usually handled and what your options are.
Why Work With Ayala Law PA
Eduardo A. Maura is the lawyer responsible for this page, and the practice concentrates in business disputes. That includes commercial and contract disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, construction litigation, real estate litigation and international trade litigation.
Our team includes assistants and office staff who help keep files, documents and deadlines organized.
The firm’s only office is at 1646 W Snow Ave in Tampa. Ayala Law PA represents businesses across Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Plant City and Temple Terrace, in disputes before Florida courts and in arbitration.
If a matter may be referred to another lawyer or firm, this firm will tell you that. Your own documents are the right starting point for deciding whether the firm fits your dispute.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breach of Contract Lawyers
How much is a lawyer for contracts?
Fees depend on the facts, the stage of the matter and the forum. Fee terms are discussed directly with the firm.
Do contracts have to be written to be binding?
Not always. Certain agreements under Florida’s statute of frauds need a signed writing, but many oral deals fall outside that list.
Back each point with records.
How long do I have to sue?
Florida sets different time limits for different types of claims, so the deadline turns on the claim itself. Some contract terms that shorten that time are void.
Can a lawyer tell me the outcome in advance?
No lawyer can promise an outcome. Each dispute turns on its own contract, records and circumstances.
Call Ayala Law PA About Your Contract Dispute
If a partner has quit performing, a general contractor is holding back payment, or a signed deal is not being honored, the next step is a review of your paperwork. Gather the signed contract, amendments, emails, invoices and payment or delivery records. A breach contract lawyer can start with those documents. Call Eduardo A. Maura at (305) 570-2208, or send a request through the contact page to start a case evaluation.
