When someone breaks a contract, you stand to lose production, time, and money. If you're the consumer, you may be left with a half-finished project or deal. Worse, if you've paid upfront, you're probably wondering if you'll be able to get your money back and whether it's worth pursuing legal action. That’s where our Illinois Breach of Contract Damages Calculator comes in. It helps you determine how much you might be owed when a contract goes wrong.
Contracts are legal promises. When one side fails to deliver, Illinois law lets the other side recover certain types of damages. This calculator will help you organize:
It’s not legal advice, but it’s a good way to start figuring out what your claim is worth.
This is the total value of the deal. Think of it as the full price of the goods or services in the contract.
Example: A $50,000 home remodeling contract.
Did either party already pay part of the contract? Enter that here. It gets subtracted from the final damage total.
Example: You paid $10,000 upfront before the contractor bailed.
This includes expenses you had because you trusted the contract—like supplies, employee time or equipment.
Example: You spent $5,000 on materials you can’t use.
If you were going to make money from the contract, enter your lost profit here. This helps estimate what you could’ve made if the deal was completed.
Example: You were going to make $15,000 from a sales contract.
Sometimes a broken contract leads to more loss—like lost customers, delays or extra expenses. If these were foreseeable when the contract was signed, Illinois law may let you recover them.
Example: A missed delivery cost you a $10,000 client.
Did your contract have a penalty or fee for breach? This is called a liquidated damages clause. You can enter the amount here—Illinois courts will enforce these if they’re fair and not just a punishment.> Example: Your contract says the breaching party pays $5,000 if they back out.
The law expects you to mitigate your damages. If you found a new customer or sold unused goods, enter that here.
Example: You recovered $2,000 by reselling leftover inventory.
The calculator shows three results:
Illinois courts take contracts seriously but also expect fairness. You can’t double-dip (collect damages twice for the same loss), and liquidated damages must be reasonable. If your case involves large sums or unclear contract terms, consider talking to a breach of contract attorney.
While this calculator is a useful tool, every case is different. If you have a broken contract and want to explore your options, our team at O’Flaherty Law can help. We’ll review your case and explain your rights under Illinois contract law.
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