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Эта страница является переводом страницы о юридических услугах, основанных на праве США и, когда применимо, праве Калифорнии. Юридические ссылки сохранены на английском языке, все суммы указаны в долларах США. Сергей Токмаков - адвокат, лицензированный в Калифорнии (CA Bar #279869).
Калифорнийский адвокат · CA Bar #279869

Адвокат по нарушению контракта в Калифорнии

Я Сергей Токмаков, калифорнийский адвокат. Если другая сторона не исполнила обязательства по письменному, устному или подразумеваемому соглашению, перенос гонораров по Civil Code § 1717 и четырёхлетний срок исковой давности по Code Civ. Proc. § 337 дают вам реальный рычаг. Я составляю письмо с требованием с расчётом убытков, ссылками на статуты и (если факты подходят) с наложением UCL § 17200.

1,500+составленных контрактов
700+отзывов на Upwork
14+лет практики
100%job-success score
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200
Краткий ответ

По калифорнийскому праву иск о нарушении контракта (breach of contract) требует: (1) контракта, (2) исполнения истцом или его освобождения, (3) нарушения ответчиком и (4) причинённых убытков. Письменные контракты имеют четырёхлетний срок исковой давности (CCP § 337); устные, два года (CCP § 339). Civ. Code § 1717 делает односторонние оговорки о гонорарах адвоката взаимными, так что если контракт предоставляет гонорары какой-либо стороне, победившая сторона их взыскивает. Взыскание обычно включает компенсацию ожидаемой выгоды (expectation damages), предвидимые косвенные убытки и (когда нарушение также является недобросовестной практикой) реституцию по Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200.

4 года
Письменный контракт по § 337
2 года
Устный контракт по § 339
Гонорары
Если в контракте есть оговорка
10% PJI
Ликвидная сумма, по Civ. § 3289

Что я делаю по делам о нарушении контракта

1

Правильно ставлю срок исковой давности в календарь.

Письменные контракты, 4 года по CCP § 337, устные, 2 года по CCP § 339. Я проверяю документ и ставлю срок в календарь, чтобы дело было пригодно для подачи.

CCP § 337 / § 339
2

Закрепляю перенос гонораров в требовании.

Если в контракте есть оговорка о переносе гонораров, требование её цитирует. Одна цитата часто решает вопрос, потому что обе стороны просчитывают гонорары.

Civ. § 1717
3

Применяю 10% процент по Civ. § 3289.

На ликвидные убытки от нарушения начисляются 10% досудебных процентов. Я закрепляю § 3289, так что чем старше нарушение, тем выше цена требования.

Civ. § 3289
4

Направляю в правильный форум или арбитраж.

Многие контракты содержат арбитражные оговорки. Я отправляю требование и (при необходимости) уведомление в JAMS или AAA через предусмотренный контрактом форум для разрешения споров.

Почему нужен адвокат, а не шаблон

Самостоятельно / шаблон

Что упускает самостоятельно составленное письмо

  • Даёт сроку исковой давности течь
  • Упускает перенос гонораров в контракте
  • Не может задействовать 10% досудебных процентов
  • Заходит не в тот форум или арбитраж
Адвокатское письмо

Что делает адвокатское письмо

  • Ставит срок по CCP § 337 или § 339 в календарь
  • Закрепляет риск оговорки о гонорарах в требовании
  • Применяет 10% процент по Civ. § 3289 на ликвидные суммы
  • Направляет дело в правильный форум или арбитраж

Дела о нарушении контракта решаются в пределах четырёх углов документа, письмо с требованием фиксирует на бумаге нарушение, убытки и риск по оговорке о гонорарах.

Применимое право

Cal. Civ. Code § 1717

The attorney-fee reciprocity rule

This authority is the attorney-fee reciprocity rule. If a contract authorizes attorney fees to one party in an action on the contract, the prevailing party (whichever side that is) is entitled to reasonable fees and costs. This is the single most important statute in California breach-of-contract practice because it shifts the litigation economics.

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337

A four-year statute of limitations on

This authority sets a four-year statute of limitations on written contracts. The clock runs from breach, not from contract formation. The discovery rule may extend in narrow circumstances (concealed breach, continuing breach), but the default is strict.

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 339

A two-year statute of limitations on

This authority sets a two-year statute of limitations on oral contracts and on contracts not founded on a written instrument. Same accrual-from-breach rule.

Cal. Civ. Code §§ 3300-3302

Codify the expectation-damages framework: the injured party is entitled

Codify the expectation-damages framework: the injured party is entitled to the amount that compensates for all the detriment proximately caused by the breach. § 3358 limits damages to those that the injured party would have received if performance had occurred (no windfall).

Hadley v. Baxendale (1854) 9 Exch. 341

Adopted in california, limits consequential damages to losses that

Adopted in California, limits consequential damages to losses that were either ordinary or specifically foreseeable to the breaching party at the time of contracting. The demand letter that pre-establishes foreseeability is the one that gets the consequential-damages number paid.

Foley v. Interactive Data Corp. (1988) 47 Cal.3d 654

Sharpened the rule that breach of the implied covenant

Sharpened the rule that breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in non-insurance contracts is a contract claim, not a tort. The remedy is contract damages, not punitives, but the cause of action is still useful when the defendant's conduct frustrates the contract's purpose without technically violating its terms.

Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200

(unfair competition law) prohibits any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent

(Unfair Competition Law) prohibits any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act. A breach that is also a deceptive practice (false advertising, misrepresentation, statutory violation) usually qualifies. The UCL provides restitution and injunctive relief but not damages; pair it with the breach count.

The damages math. Counterparty breaches a $75,000 services contract. Expectation damages: $75,000. Consequential damages (lost downstream revenue you can prove was foreseeable): $30,000. Costs avoided by your non-performance: $10,000. Civ. Code § 1717 fee shift (if contract has fee clause): $15,000-$30,000 once the matter is litigated. Total exposure: roughly $110,000-$125,000 on a $75,000 contract. The demand letter shows the counterparty that number.

What clients send me

The cleaner the file, the higher the settlement number. Before I draft, I ask for:

  • The contract itself (every page, every addendum, every exhibit, every amendment, every counter-signature)
  • The pre-contract communications: emails, term sheets, RFPs, and proposals that frame what each side agreed to
  • Proof of your performance: invoices issued, deliverables sent, payments tendered, milestones met
  • The communications around the breach: emails or letters where the counterparty announced or admitted the failure to perform
  • Documents quantifying your damages: lost-revenue calculations, replacement-cost invoices, third-party contracts you had to cancel, downstream-customer notices
  • The counterparty's contact information: registered agent if it's an entity, principal place of business, names of officers if known
  • Any prior attempts to resolve: demand emails you sent yourself, mediation proposals, settlement offers
  • The full counterparty identity: are they an LLC, a corporation, a sole proprietor, a partnership? This affects how the letter is addressed and who is liable
  • A timeline of the dispute: contract date, performance milestones, date of breach, date of discovery, date of any prior communications
  • Whether the contract is governed by California law and whether venue is specified (if the contract picks a forum, that affects strategy)

What I send back

$575

What you get

  • A three-to-five-page attorney demand letter on Terms.Law / Sergei Tokmakov, Esq. letterhead with my CA Bar number
  • Citation to the specific contract provisions breached and the contract-interpretation theory
  • Damages calculation: expectation, consequential, incidental, less avoided costs
  • Citation to Civ. Code § 1717 with fee-recovery demand where the contract supports it
  • Citation to CCP § 337 or § 339 SOL framework
  • USPS certified mail delivery + email + three negotiation responses
$1,200

What you get

  • Everything in the $575 package
  • Court-ready California Superior Court complaint (or small-claims SC-100 for matters under $12,500) with breach of contract, breach of implied covenant, and (where supported) UCL § 17200 counts
  • Damages prayer pre-calculated including fees
  • Civil case cover sheet, summons, and filing instructions for the appropriate county

How the engagement runs

1
Send facts

Email a paragraph + key documents.

2
Identify theory

I map the facts to the CA statute.

3
Draft letter

Attorney letter on letterhead.

4
You approve

Two revision rounds included.

5
Send certified

USPS certified + email delivery.

6
Negotiate

Three negotiation responses included.

Choose your path

Start here if

Case memo

$575
  • You want a written legal evaluation first
  • You may refer to a contingency firm later
  • Statute or evidence questions are unsettled
Accept memo - $575
Most common

Attorney demand letter

$575
  • Single target, one letter, certified mail
  • Counterparty is responsive to attorney letterhead
  • No draft lawsuit needed yet
Accept letter - $575
Start here if

Demand + draft lawsuit

$1,200
  • Counterparty needs to see the lawsuit is real
  • Multiple claims or institutional defendant
  • You may file pro se after the demand
Accept package - $1,200

Pricing

Attorney Demand Letter

$575 · flat fee
  • Attorney letter on CA Bar #279869 letterhead
  • Expectation + consequential damages calculation
  • Civ. Code § 1717 fee demand where applicable
  • USPS certified mail + email delivery
  • Three revisions before sending
  • Three negotiation responses after delivery

Letter + Draft Lawsuit

$1,200 · flat fee
  • Everything in the $575 package
  • Court-ready California Superior Court complaint
  • Breach of contract, implied covenant, UCL counts
  • Damages prayer pre-calculated
  • Civil case cover sheet + summons
  • Recommended when other side has counsel

Related on Terms.Law

Service page
Hire a Lawyer for a Demand Letter (overview)
Calculator
California Breach of Contract Damages Calculator
Calculator
Attorney Fee Calculator (§ 1717 reciprocity)
Free Opus tool
Causes of Action Identifier
Free Opus tool
Contract Clause Risk Scanner
Hub
All 17 California practice areas

Frequently asked questions

You
What does breach of contract require in California?
S
Four elements: (1) a contract existed (offer, acceptance, consideration, mutual assent), (2) the plaintiff performed or was excused from performing, (3) the defendant breached, and (4) the plaintiff suffered damages caused by the breach. The contract can be written, oral, or implied by conduct. Written contracts carry a four-year statute of limitations (CCP § 337); oral contracts carry a two-year SOL (CCP § 339). I confirm all four elements in the intake before drafting.
You
What damages can I recover for a breached contract?
S
Expectation damages are the default measure: you are put in the position you would have been in had the contract been performed. That includes (a) general damages (the benefit of the bargain), (b) consequential damages reasonably foreseeable to the breaching party (Hadley v. Baxendale framing), (c) incidental damages (costs of finding a substitute performance), less any costs avoided by the breach. Specific performance is available for unique goods or real estate (Civ. Code §§ 3384-3387). Punitive damages are not generally available for contract breach absent an independent tort.
You
Does my contract have a fee-shifting clause?
S
Check the agreement. Most form contracts include a prevailing-party attorney-fees clause. Civ. Code § 1717 makes those clauses reciprocal even if the contract drafted it as one-way. That means if the contract gives only one party the right to fees, § 1717 extends the right to the prevailing party regardless of which side they were. I read every contract for the fee clause first because it changes the leverage of the demand letter. A § 1717 case has higher settlement value because the losing party pays both sides' attorney fees.
You
What's the statute of limitations on a breach claim?
S
Four years for written contracts (Code Civ. Proc. § 337). Two years for oral contracts (Code Civ. Proc. § 339). The clock runs from breach, not from the contract date. The discovery rule and tolling may extend the deadline in fact patterns where the breach was not reasonably discoverable, but the default is strict. I include an SOL analysis in every intake because cases that look strong on the facts can be procedurally dead. If you are within 60 days of expiration, the $1,200 letter-plus-draft-lawsuit package is the right tier because you need filing-ready papers.
You
When does the UCL § 17200 overlay apply?
S
Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 prohibits any unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business act. A contract breach by itself is not usually a UCL violation, but a breach that is part of a deceptive-practices pattern (false advertising, misrepresentation, repeated violations of statutes) often is. The UCL provides restitution and injunctive relief, which is meaningful in business-to-business disputes and consumer-facing breaches. I add the UCL count when the facts support it because it changes the settlement math: defendants do not want a finding that creates collateral exposure on other transactions.
You
What about the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing?
S
Every California contract carries an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing (Foley v. Interactive Data Corp. (1988) 47 Cal.3d 654). A breach of the covenant is usually a contract claim, not a tort, except in the insurance bad-faith context. The implied-covenant count is useful when the defendant's conduct frustrates the contract's purpose without literally violating its terms, such as making performance technically possible but commercially impossible. I add the count when the facts support it and the defendant's pattern is uglier than the literal breach.
You
Can I demand specific performance?
S
Sometimes. Civ. Code § 3384 makes specific performance the default remedy for breach of a contract for the sale of real property because real property is presumed unique. For other contracts, specific performance is available only when damages are inadequate (typically for unique goods, intellectual property licenses, or services where substitutes do not exist). I evaluate whether to ask for specific performance, money damages, or both in the demand letter based on the underlying subject matter.
You
What if the contract was oral?
S
Oral contracts are enforceable in California except where the Statute of Frauds (Civ. Code § 1624) requires writing. Common Statute-of-Frauds categories: contracts that cannot be performed within one year, real-estate sales, agreements to answer for the debt of another, and goods sales over $500 under the UCC. Oral contracts have a two-year SOL (CCP § 339). I build the case from text messages, emails, and conduct evidencing the agreement. Oral breach-of-contract cases settle, but the case-value tends to be lower because of the proof challenge.
You
What if the counterparty filed for bankruptcy?
S
The automatic stay (11 U.S.C. § 362) halts most pre-petition contract claims. You may need to file a proof of claim in the bankruptcy and possibly seek relief from stay if the matter requires it. If you anticipate the counterparty may file, the timing of your demand letter and complaint matters significantly. I run that analysis at intake when the facts suggest bankruptcy is plausible.
You
Why send a demand letter at all instead of just suing?
S
Three reasons. First, the demand letter often resolves the matter without filing, saving the filing fee, the time, and the relationship. Second, the letter is a record of pre-suit good-faith effort, which California courts care about and which can affect fee awards under § 1717 and other doctrines. Third, the letter triggers a real legal-budget conversation on the defendant's side; many breach claims that look intractable settle when the defendant's counsel does the case-value math against the cost of defense plus § 1717 fee exposure.

Contract breach in California? Let me send the letter.

Email me the counterparty name, type of contract, date of breach, and amount at stake. I'll respond same day with a scoped flat-fee quote.

Email owner@terms.law