Duress
Contract Law

Duress is a vitiating factor of a contract that prevents agreement being reach between the parties to the contract, due to some unlawful threat or illegitimate business or economic being brought to bear on party to the contract. Contracts tainted by duress are said to be voidable by the innocent person and thus able to be set aside the contract in its entirety. The duress is must be such a character, and the circumstances must place the person in a position where they had no other choice other than to accede to the demand or threat and enter the agreement.