Legal Definitions - in duriorem sortem

in duriorem sortem

In civil law, this phrase refers to a debt that a debtor is most interested in paying off first. It may be a debt that has a penalty attached to it or one that needs to be paid quickly.

For example, if a person owes money to two creditors, one of whom charges a high interest rate and the other has a penalty for late payment, the debt with the penalty would be considered in duriorem sortem. The debtor would be most interested in paying off this debt first to avoid the penalty.

Another example would be a debt that needs to be paid quickly, such as a tax bill. The debtor would want to pay this debt first to avoid any additional fees or penalties.

These examples illustrate how in duriorem sortem refers to a debt that is a priority for the debtor to pay off first.