Legal Definitions - discharge

Definition: A discharge is when a legal obligation or duty is extinguished or released. This means that the obligation or duty no longer exists.

For example, if you have a debt that you are legally obligated to pay, a discharge of that debt means that you are no longer required to pay it. This can happen in situations like bankruptcy.

In the context of employment law, a discharge refers to when an employee is involuntarily terminated from their job. This means that the employee is no longer employed by the company.

Example: John had a credit card debt that he was struggling to pay. He filed for bankruptcy and was granted a discharge of his debt. This means that he no longer had to pay the debt.

Example: Sarah was fired from her job for consistently showing up late to work. Her termination was a discharge from her employment, meaning that she was no longer employed by the company.

These examples illustrate how a discharge can release someone from a legal obligation or duty. In the case of John, the discharge released him from his obligation to pay his debt. In the case of Sarah, the discharge released her from her duty to work for the company.