What is an example of actual undue influence?
Asked by: Miss Sallie Zieme DVM | Last update: June 20, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (23 votes)
Examples of 'Undue Influence' in legal transactions include pressuring a vulnerable individual into signing a contract, manipulating a person's free will in estate planning, misusing power in a fiduciary relationship, or exploiting a personal relationship of trust to gain a financial benefit.
What is a real life example of undue influence?
Real Life Examples
A classic example of this is when a caretaker influences an elderly person in the preparation of a new will. The undue influencer may control access by isolating them from interacting with friends and family.
What is an actual undue influence?
Actual undue influence is when a person is subject to direct pressure or coercion by another. This might include threats, harassment or manipulation. If someone threatens to harm or blackmails another person into signing a document, for example, that would be actual undue influence.
What is the difference between presumed undue influence and actual undue influence?
The House of Lords have held that, for undue influence to be presumed, the weaker party must show that the transaction resulting from the consenting party's consent is manifestly disadvantageous to the consenting party (or alternatively, in the case of actual undue influence, that there had been an abuse of confidence ...
What is undue influence generally considered to be?
Undue influence is the misuse of one's role and power to exploit the trust, dependence, and fear of another to deceptively gain control over that person's decision in a particular matter.
Actual Undue Influence | Contract Law
What is considered undue influence?
In contract law , undue influence is a defense used to argue against the formation of a binding contract . It occurs when one party exerts excessive persuasion on another, undermining their free will and leading to a contract that benefits only the influencer.
Which is not an example of undue influence?
For example, married couples have a great amount of influence over one another, and so this influence, while strong, is not considered “undue” under the law.
How to win an undue influence case?
To win a case where undue influence has been alleged, the person bringing the case must prove that the testator was persuaded by the accused to take action but that they were also coerced.
What are the two key elements of undue influence?
What are the key elements of undue influence? (1) Must be a relationship of trust, confidence, or authority between the parties to the contract (2) The stronger party must wrongfully, dominate the party or use unfair persuasion in order to secure an agreement.
What is assumption of undue influence?
Undue influence occurs when an individual is able to persuade another's decisions due to the relationship between the two parties. Often, one of the parties is in a position of power over the other due to elevated status, higher education, or emotional ties.
How do you identify undue influence?
- Isolation from trusted advisors. ...
- Rapid changes in documents. ...
- Unusual beneficiary designations. ...
- Emotional manipulation and control. ...
- Testator's mental state. ...
- Unexplained discrepancies. ...
- Disregard for legal formalities.
How do you prove duress in court?
The defense must establish a direct connection between the defendant and the person threatened and show how that relationship was used to create duress. It would be more difficult to prove duress if you committed a crime because an unknown stranger was being threatened.
What makes a contract void?
A contract that is void is not legally enforceable and the parties thereto are not legally obligated to each other. Generally, contracts are void because the subject matter is not legal or one of the contracting parties does not have the competency to contract.
What is actual undue influence?
Actual undue influence does not require the making of any threat. In cases of actual undue influence, the party who claims relief must show that such influence existed and was exercised, and that as a result no independent judgment on the transaction could be formed.
How hard is it to prove undue influence?
In California, proving undue influence is a difficult task for attorneys, especially where a particular family member is the apparent authority figure. Courts believe that individuals have sufficient mental capacity to execute their wishes.
What is vindictive damage?
They are also sometimes called “exemplary damages” or “vindictive damages” because they are meant to make an example of the defendant, deter others from engaging in the same conduct, and vindicate society's injury in the harm that was done.
What is an example of undue influence?
(b) A, a man enfeebled by disease or age, is induced, by Bs influence over him as his medical attendant, to agree to pay B an unreasonable sum for his professional services, B employs undue influence.
What is the best evidence of unfair persuasion?
Examples: An example of unfair persuasion is when a car salesman convinces a customer to buy a car that they cannot afford by using high-pressure sales tactics and misleading information. Another example is when a landlord threatens to evict a tenant if they do not sign a lease agreement that is unfair or illegal.
Which of the following must be proved to show undue influence?
To prove undue influence, you will need to demonstrate: The victim was vulnerable (e.g., they were of advanced age or had diminished mental capacity). The influencer had authority over the victim (e.g., they were a fiduciary or close relative).
What things can be considered undue influence?
In California, undue influence refers to a situation where one person exerts an excessive amount of control and pressure over another person, impairing their free will and manipulating their decisions. It involves the exploitation of a confidential relationship, vulnerability, or dependence for personal gain.
What questions are asked in an undue influence deposition?
Medical, education, achievements, social, financial situation? How have these aspects changed during the relationship? Are there things the victim needs assistance doing at present?
What is an example of undue influence in a family?
That undue influence could take the form of a threat to stop visiting the parent, to restrict the parent from seeing grandchildren, to stop providing care to the parent, including failing to provide essential help like food, water, bathing, etc., all in an effort to manipulate a benefit for the abuse, like money or the ...
What is 7 undue influence?
Undue influence exists where one person wrongfully exercises control over another so as to substitute that person's will for the will of the other.
How do you prove signing under duress?
When a person wants to rescind a contract entered into earlier on the basis that it was made under duress, he needs to prove that a threat to harm was made by the other party and that the threat was the reason that he entered into the contract.
What is vulnerable to undue influence?
Undue influence is a form of manipulation that can be used to exploit vulnerable adults, such as the elderly or those with disabilities. It can take many forms, from emotional coercion to financial exploitation.