Legal Definitions - Voluntary

In legal terms, an action is considered voluntary when it is performed intentionally and by choice, rather than as a result of accident, coercion, or external compulsion. It signifies that the person undertaking the action did so with their own free will and awareness of their conduct.

• Example 1: Voluntary Confession

  After being read their rights, a suspect in a theft case tells police, "I took the money from the register." The suspect was not threatened, tricked, or pressured into making this statement.

  This illustrates a voluntary act because the suspect chose to confess to the crime, acting with intention and free will, rather than being compelled or coerced by law enforcement.

• Example 2: Voluntary Resignation

  An employee, unhappy with their career path, decides to leave their current job and submits a formal resignation letter to their employer, giving two weeks' notice.

  This is a voluntary resignation because the employee made the conscious and intentional decision to terminate their employment, acting on their own initiative rather than being fired or forced to leave.

• Example 3: Voluntary Disclosure

  A financial institution discovers an internal error that led to a minor, unintentional breach of customer data. Before any regulatory body or affected customers become aware, the institution proactively reports the incident to the relevant government oversight agency.

  This demonstrates a voluntary disclosure because the institution intentionally chose to reveal the breach, acting without being legally compelled by an ongoing investigation or a formal request from the agency.