Ohalete sueing Portis

We don't really know what Iffy was entitled to since we don't know the precise wording of the contract and whether or not Portis' obligation to Ohalete existed after Iffy was cut. Ohh well, it's done.

smoot presided over the thing and said that portis promised the money and nothing was ever said about ohalete staying on the team, so he thought portis owed the money.

Arent legal binding contracts supposed to have been drawn up by an attorney in the state they both resided in?

no, informal agreements are good enough in most cases (if they're written down and signed)... in this case i believe it was and smoot was also present (he observed the deal being made and its details, as well as seeing the two parties agree to it). Even if it wasn't written down, an objective witness would probably be enough for a court here.

individuals with no legal experience do it all the time. I've drawn up a Living Will for a man living in New York State and I'm not even an attorney.

Careful now, don't go admitting to engaging in the authorized practice of law. ;)

A legal contract can be a verbal agreement, a handshake, lots of things. It does not have to involve lawyers and complex documents--though that keeps lawyers in business.

Yes and no. Certain agreements have to be in writing to be enforceable. For example, contracts for the purchase of land. Also, it depends on each individual state. Most states have what's called a "statue of frauds" that will find verbal agreements unenforceable if they fall within the statute (for example, some states require any contract for the sale of goods in excess of $500 to be in writing.......others, like Pennsylvania, do not).