Legal Definitions - duressor

A duressor is an individual who uses unlawful pressure, threats, or force to compel another person to act in a way they otherwise would not, or to make a decision against their own free will or better judgment. Essentially, a duressor is the party who applies duress.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Business Dealings

  Imagine a powerful real estate developer who threatens to publicly reveal damaging, but false, information about a small business owner's past unless the owner sells their prime commercial property at a drastically reduced price. The developer is acting as the duressor because they are using intimidation and the threat of reputational harm to force the business owner into a transaction against their will and financial best interest.

• Example 2: Family Matters

  Consider a situation where an adult child threatens to cut off all contact with their elderly parent and prevent them from seeing their grandchildren, unless the parent changes their will to disinherit another sibling. In this scenario, the adult child is the duressor, using emotional manipulation and the threat of isolation to coerce the parent into making a legal decision against their original wishes and judgment.

• Example 3: Workplace Coercion

  Suppose a manager tells an employee that if they do not work an excessive amount of unpaid overtime, the manager will ensure they are fired and will give them a terrible reference, making it impossible for them to find another job in the industry. The manager is acting as the duressor by using the threat of job loss and professional ruin to compel the employee to perform work against their contractual rights and personal judgment.