Consumer Law, Warranties A question about Breach of contract

[KMEDRAM21]

My jurisdiction is: Marietta GA/United States

pastorA friend of mine, was a pastor of a church in Marietta, GA, and he singed a contract to lease out space to hold his church services and as a place to have an office. Well a short time after being at this location, membership within his church had dropped off significantly and the state of the economy effected the churches ability to find ways to help them in financial areas resulting in being behind on the lease and paying for it became a burden. he tried fundrasiers to lessen the burden but was unsucessful in raising enough money to help pay lease. So he had a conversation with the landlord and they seemed to have come to a verbal agreement which was to let him out of the lease/ Since leaving the place, the landlord has been unable to lease his space to anyone, likely to the state of the economy. Now he is suing my friend for breach of contract. What does my friend need to do to fight this case? as far as them having a written agreement to nullify the first contract, he said they didnt and that they just talked it out. i am not a lawyer yet, i am studying to be one after undergrad but anyway, does my friend have any chance in this case?

 

[dee_dub]

He has a chance, but probably not a good one.

What does my friend need to do to fight this case?

He'll need to file a statement of defence or the equivalent in your state, so that default judgment isn't taken against him.

To succeed, he'd need to prove the landlord orally agreed to terminate the lease. Why should the judge believe your friend? Any written record he made of the conversation, any witnesses to the conversation... But why would the landlord have agreed to let your friend out of the lease? It doesn't make sense to me.