Summarize this article in one sentence.
A breach of contract occurs when one party fails to uphold his side of the contract without an adequate legal excuse. A breach of contract can be indicated by a failure to perform or by words or actions that indicate future nonperformance. If you are involved in a contract that involves materials (such as the sale of an item), you should be entitled to a full recovery of materials if the other party does not fulfill his end of the contract. For example, if you sell a boat to your neighbor and give him an owner-financed payment plan but he stops making payments, you are entitled to a full recovery of the boat, regardless of the amount your neighbor has paid towards the full amount. If you are the non-breach party in a contract, you can seek to mitigate (lessen) the damages caused by the other party's breach of contract by seeking replacement goods or services (known as "cover.") If the cover costs you the same or less money than your original contract, you may not be entitled to damages. However, if your cover costs you more, you can ask the contract-breaching party to pay the damages (the difference between the original cost and the cover.) Finding cover as soon as possible to the breach of contract can help you show the court that you've done your best to avoid consequential damages, or further expenses due to your own failure to act. For example, you may have a contract with a wedding photographer. If your photographer backs out of the contract the week before your wedding, you may need to scramble and find a new photographer at the last minute. If the last-minute photographer costs the same as your original photographer, there are no damages. If the last-minute photographer charges you an additional $500 for the lack of notice, you can ask that the original photographer pay the $500 fee. If you cannot uphold your end of a contract, you can refuse to fulfill the obligations that are laid out in the contract. Refusing to perform your contractual obligations will constitute a breach of contract and may expose you to a breach of contract lawsuit. Before choosing this option, you should consult with an attorney to ensure that you completely understand all consequences of deciding to breach a contract. If the other party has breached a contract, you can file a lawsuit for damages incurred due to the breach. Be sure that you have a copy of the contract, can specifically identify how and when the breach occurred, and document any financial or other damages that you accumulated as a result of the breach. You can hire a lawyer to file the lawsuit for you, or you can do it yourself at your local courthouse. File the lawsuit as soon as possible after the breach. States have varying statutes of limitations for how long after a breach a lawsuit can be filed, but waiting too long can prevent you from being able to take legal action against the breaching party. After a contract has been breached, the parties involved may want to consider using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a tool to settle a contract dispute. With ADR, anyone involved in the contract often share the cost of hiring a neutral mediator. This person will assist all of you to work out a mutually agreeable outcome. The ADR process includes an evaluation by a neutral third-party who isn't a lawyer. It also includes a negotiation and mediation. Arbitration is another form of ADR. It allows you to take care of the problem without going to court. Arbitration is a good idea in complex cases or when damages are difficult to calculate.

Summary:
Identify a breach of contract. Recover your materials. Mitigate your damages. Refuse to perform. File a lawsuit against the breaching party. Consider Alternative Dispute Resolution.