Legal Definitions - necessitous circumstances

Necessitous circumstances refers to a state of severe financial hardship or extreme material deprivation, where an individual or entity lacks the fundamental resources required for basic survival or well-being. It implies a situation of urgent and compelling need, often making it difficult to meet essential living expenses like food, shelter, clothing, or medical care.

• Example 1: After a sudden factory closure, a family's primary earner loses their job. Despite diligently searching for new employment, they quickly deplete their meager savings and are unable to pay their rent, purchase groceries, or afford their children's necessary school supplies for the upcoming month.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates necessitous circumstances because the family is experiencing an urgent and severe lack of financial resources, making it impossible to meet their basic needs for housing, food, and education due to an unforeseen loss of income.

• Example 2: An elderly individual living solely on a fixed, minimal pension discovers they require a critical, expensive medical procedure that is only partially covered by their health insurance. With no personal savings or other assets, they are unable to pay the substantial remaining balance.

  Explanation: This demonstrates necessitous circumstances as the individual is in extreme want, unable to afford essential healthcare necessary for their well-being due to a severe lack of financial means beyond their basic fixed income.

• Example 3: A remote agricultural community experiences a prolonged and severe drought, leading to widespread crop failure and the death of livestock. The local economy collapses, and residents are left without income, food, or clean drinking water, forcing them to rely entirely on humanitarian aid for survival.

  Explanation: This represents necessitous circumstances on a broader scale, as the entire community is experiencing extreme deprivation and an urgent lack of fundamental resources required for survival and recovery due to an environmental catastrophe.