What Remedies Are Available for a Breach of Contract?
Under Texas law, remedies for a breach could include:
- Compensation, such as actual, reliance, restitution and liquidated damages
- Quantum meruit (recovery of the value of services performed)
- Specific performance of contract terms
- Release from contractual obligations
- Revision of a contract to reflect a mutual mistake
What Are the Equitable Remedies Available for Breach of Contract in Texas?
What if money damages alone can't make things right? In that case, you may be entitled to an what is known as an “equitable remedy.” In Texas, in addition to suing for financial damages, there are four available equitable remedies for breach of contract disputes:
- Rescission. Rescission is an agreement to void the contract and return both parties to the position they were in prior to the agreement. When the court grants rescission as a remedy, the contract and the parties’ rights and liabilities under it are cancelled, and any money exchanged must be returned. This remedy for breach of contract is not available if substantial performance on the contractual obligations have already been completed by one party or another.
- Specific Performance. Another option is to go to court and ask for specific performance, namely ask the court to order the breaching party to do everything that was promised. A court will not order specific performance as a remedy for breach of contract unless it can effectively oversee compliance with the order. For example, a court will not likely order a party to perform a series of activities over an extended period.
- Reformation. Reformation is essentially agreeing to a different deal. If one party breaches the contract, the other party is no longer bound by the agreement. But they wouldn't have entered into the agreement in the first place if they didn't have mutual interests. Reformation allows the contract to be tweaked or "re-formed" so that both parties want to comply with the terms. It’s a way of clarifying a contract that was based on a misunderstanding, a mistake, or one party's failure to disclose all the relevant information.
- Injunction. An injunction is a court order that tells a party either to do something or refrain from an action that would be harmful. This remedy is a way of maintaining, or restoring, the status quo.
When you work with Hendershot Cowart P.C., you work with our entire legal team. Our clients are backed by attorneys with more than 100 years of combined legal experience in Texas contract law, business fraud, and other types of business disputes. We are very familiar with what it takes to win a breach of contract lawsuit. We are here to guide you every step of the way – whether the contract dispute is resolved through mediation, arbitration, or litigation.
Our contract law attorneys also specialize in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating business agreements and contracts, handling thousands of such matters each year.
How can you repair the damage done by a broken contract? Call (713) 909-7323 or contact us online to discuss the remedies for breach of contract.