Legal Definitions - barrator

A barrator is an individual who habitually and intentionally incites quarrels or initiates numerous, often groundless, lawsuits. This person is characterized by a pattern of stirring up conflict and litigation among others, rather than engaging in a single dispute.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a resident in a suburban neighborhood who constantly tells different homeowners that their fences are encroaching on their neighbors' property, even when surveys show no issue. This resident then encourages them to hire lawyers and sue each other, creating widespread animosity and unnecessary legal expenses among people who previously coexisted peacefully.

  This illustrates a barrator because the individual is actively and repeatedly fomenting disputes and encouraging litigation among multiple parties where no substantial conflict existed.

• Consider a person who frequently visits local businesses, fabricating minor complaints about service or products, and then immediately threatens or files lawsuits, not because they genuinely seek redress, but to disrupt operations or gain attention. They might encourage others to do the same, even for minor or non-existent grievances.

  This scenario demonstrates a barrator's behavior by showing a pattern of instigating multiple, often baseless, legal actions against various entities, stirring up trouble and litigation.

• Think of an individual who approaches disgruntled former employees of a large company, exaggerating potential grievances and convincing them to join a class-action lawsuit with little legal basis, purely for the purpose of causing a major disruption to the company's operations, rather than seeking legitimate compensation.

  Here, the individual acts as a barrator by actively stirring up litigation among a group of people, encouraging them to pursue a lawsuit that may lack strong legal merit, primarily to create conflict and disruption.