An unpaid invoice or failed business deal can produce a sharp disagreement about what was promised. For a Rhode Island contract review, start with the actual agreement you say existed. Keep proposals, responses, attachments, revisions and performance records in order.
A file is more useful when it separates the alleged promise, the evidence of acceptance and the loss claimed. Do not assume that the last document sent contains the entire bargain.
Identify the terms each side accepted
In North Farm, the Rhode Island Supreme Court discussed objectively manifested assent and explained that tentative agreement to individual terms during negotiation does not establish a completed contract on all the alleged terms. North Farm Home Owners Association, Inc. v. Bristol County Water Authority, 315 A.3d 933, 942-43 (R.I. 2024)
List the precise obligations in dispute: scope, price, delivery, duration, approval or termination. Identify the document or exchange you rely on for each. Explain whether a later version changed an earlier proposal or remained under negotiation.
Keep the correspondence that qualifies the promise
North Farm involved a water-authority dispute. The correspondence supported an understanding about conversion to a metering system but did not establish the perpetual obligations alleged. That factual limit illustrates why the wording and duration of the asserted promise matter. North Farm Home Owners Association, Inc. v. Bristol County Water Authority, 315 A.3d 933, 943 (R.I. 2024)
Preserve complete threads, including conditions, draft labels, unanswered questions and attachments. Identify who sent and received each item and their role. A favorable sentence may mean something different when read with the proposal it answered.
Build a performance timeline
Record what each party did, when it happened and the supporting source. Keep delivery records, acceptance messages, invoices, payments and notices of problems. Distinguish an allegation of nonperformance from a dispute about what the contract required.
If a change is alleged, keep the original agreement alongside the later request and response. Separate an approved change, a proposed concession and an unresolved negotiation. Counsel needs that history before assessing whether a later obligation was formed.
Support the requested resolution
Prepare a calculation that distinguishes unpaid sums, refunds, additional expenses and estimates. Link each item to a supporting record and an explanation of why it is claimed. Identify offsets or disputed credits rather than omitting them.
Keep settlement discussions, proposed releases and any existing court papers as received. A claim for contract relief does not supply every possible statutory or tort remedy. Those theories require their own legal basis and factual review.
Prepare the first consultation
Bring the agreement history, a concise chronology and the notices showing upcoming dates. Identify the correct people and business entities, any lawyers involved and the records still missing. Use the first inquiry for a brief overview, with confidential material held for the appropriate channel.
See the business litigation guide and contract dispute guide, or request a Providence consultation.
General Rhode Island information. The applicable law, agreement and individual facts control. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.