Undue
influence
is a legal term that refers to inappropriate or excessive manipulation
exerted against a vulnerable
person. The perpetrators of undue influence
misuse a
position of trust or power to benefit themselves - or causes they
support - at the expense of their victims. Elder abuse, domestic
violence, probate or will contests, professional malpractice,
psychological torture, war crimes, and many other situations often
involve undue influence or similar manipulation strategies.
An
expert in undue
influence assessment will know several accepted methods for evaluating
undue
influence claims and can clarify: 1) how undue influence occurs;
2) how it
developed in a specific case; 3) the psychology of undue
influence
perpetrators; and 4) the impact of undue influence on victims.
Someone
who seems to
benefit at the expense of a vulnerable person will often be required to
prove
that undue influence did not occur. Some of the
relationships
automatically raise concerns about undue influence are:
Attorney/client
Clergy/congregant
Conservator
or guardian/conservatee or ward
Parent/child
Physician or
therapist/patient or client
Links:
More
about undue influence suspicious
circumstances - especially in probate
litigation
(will or estate contests).
Basic types
of undue influence (overt vs. covert undue influence)
