Due Care Law & Legal Definition
Due care refers to the effort made by an ordinarily prudent or reasonable party to avoid harm to another, taking the circumstances into account. It refers to the level of judgment, care, prudence, determination, and activity that a person would reasonably be expected to do under particular circumstances. This standard is applied in a vast variety of contexts, whether the duty may be driving on the road or performing a background check. The precise definition is usually made on a case-by-case basis, judged upon the law and circumstances in each case.
Due care may also be referred to as due diligence. In corporate law, due diligence is the process of conducting an intensive investigation of a corporation as one of the first steps in a pending merger or acquisition. In a company acquisition, due diligence would include fully understanding all of the obligations of the company: debts, pending and potential lawsuits, leases, warranties, long-term customer agreements, employment contracts, distribution agreements, compensation arrangements, and so forth.
Legal Definitions
Search Definitions
Get a Term Defined
- Request a legal definition! Submit a term you need defined.
- » Request Legal Definition
Submit a Definition
- Submit a Definition Help us build our database. Free listings for attorneys.
- » Submit a Definition
Help Build USLegal
- Join our Team and help build USLegal. Many opportunities for participation so Join our Network.
Build USLegal
Read a Law Digest
- Need to read the law or find an answer to a legal question? Visit our Law Digest for the largest selection of law digests and answers available.
Go to Law Digest
Form Packages
- Select from our most popular legal form packages.
- » Bankruptcy
- » Contract for Deed
- » Divorce
- » Employment Packages
- » Home Sales
- » Incorporation
- » LLC Formation
- » Landlord Tenant
- » Mutual Wills
- » Name Change
- » Personal Planning
- » Partnerships
- » View All Packages
Legal Life
- Organize your legal life today! View our free online guide to creating a Life Documents File and related products.
- » Life Documents File
- » Personal Planning Package
- » Life Documents Packages
- » New Parents
- » Newlyweds
- » Baby Boomers
- » Military
- » Other
Form Drafting
- Can′t find the form you need, or need a form we offer revised for your situation? Submit your request and our attorneys will review the request and let you know if the form can be provided.
Submit a drafting request...
