legal obligation
Enforceable commitment owed
A legal obligation is a duty imposed or recognized by law, breach of which may result in penalties or liability.
Contracts create legal obligations between parties; statutes impose them on citizens.
Distinguished from moral obligations, which carry no legal enforcement: Paying taxes is a legal obligation, not a choice.
The phrase often appears in discussions of compliance and liability.
- statuteEnacted written rule
- contractEnforceable written agreement
- breachBreaking of agreement
- breach of contractFailure to perform agreed duties
- fiduciary dutyObligation to act loyally
legislation · compliance · negligence · duty of care · agreement · fine print · mandate · penalty · duty · damages · restitution · enforceability · indemnity · licensing · court order · court ruling · tort · sworn
- debtscredit card debt, car loan, student loan, loans, bank loan
- jurisprudencenatural law, Hart, Austin, Thomas Aquinas, rule of law
- legal dutiesduty of care, standard of care, breach of duty, professional duty, parental duty
- legal documentscontract, affidavit, deed, will, subpoena
- premises liabilityduty of care, slip and fall, injury claims, damage claims, invitees
legal obligationvoluntary action
Deed done by choice
handshake deal · free choice · gentleman's agreement · gentlemen's agreement · best practice
legal obligationmoral obligation
Ethics-based required action
ethical duty · religious duty · moral imperative · social obligation · conscience
legal obligationlegal right
Law-protected claim
exemption · legal exemption · legal privilege · liberty · freedom