Legal Definitions - infidelity

Infidelity refers to the act of being unfaithful or disloyal to a commitment, duty, or promise. While it is most commonly associated with a breach of trust in a romantic or marital relationship, it can also apply to other situations where an obligation or pledge is violated.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of infidelity:

• Example 1: Marital Context
  A person in a committed marriage secretly develops a romantic and sexual relationship with someone other than their spouse, without their spouse's knowledge or consent. This action directly violates the vows of exclusivity and loyalty made within the marital agreement.

  Explanation: This scenario exemplifies marital infidelity, as one spouse has been unfaithful to the explicit and implicit obligations of fidelity and commitment that form the foundation of their marriage.

• Example 2: Professional Context
  A high-ranking employee at a pharmaceutical company, who has signed a strict confidentiality agreement, secretly sells proprietary research data about a new drug formula to a rival company for personal financial gain. This employee was entrusted with sensitive information and had a duty of loyalty to their employer.

  Explanation: In this case, the employee demonstrates infidelity to their professional obligations. They have been unfaithful to their contractual duty of confidentiality and their ethical duty of loyalty to their employer, breaching the trust placed in them.

• Example 3: Fiduciary Context
  A trustee, appointed to manage a trust fund for the benefit of a minor child, uses a significant portion of the trust's assets to invest in a risky personal business venture, rather than preserving and growing the funds for the child's future as legally required.

  Explanation: The trustee is committing infidelity to their fiduciary duty. They have an obligation to act solely in the best interest of the beneficiary (the minor child) and have instead been unfaithful to that duty by prioritizing their own interests and mismanaging the entrusted assets.