A contract, in its simplest terms, is a written or oral agreement between two or more people.
Most people understand that a party to a contract may be liable if they fail to live up to their contractual obligations. It is also true, however, that if a third party interferes with the parties' contractual expectations, the third party may also be liable based on his or her interference with the contract. To establish an interference with contract claim, the injured party must show five things:
- That he or she had a contract with one or more other persons;
- That the defendant knew about the contract;
- That the defendant intentionally interfered with the plaintiff’s contractual relationship, causing a breach or termination of that relationship;
- That the defendant’s conduct was improper; and
- That the plaintiff was actually harmed and suffered damages due to the breach or termination of the contractual relationship.
Individuals or businesses who believe they may have tortious interference with contract claims in Arizona should contact an Arizona contract attorney as soon as possible because the time limitations to file a lawsuit for most interference with contract claims is two years from when the wrongdoing occurred.