Pflichtigen

Pflichtigen is a German legal term used to denote persons or entities that are obligated to fulfill a duty under a contract, statute, or regulation. The term identifies the party who owes an obligation (the obligor) rather than the party entitled to receive performance (the beneficiary). In legal texts, obligations may concern payment, delivery of goods or services, compliance with regulatory duties, or other enforceable performances.

Contexts in which the term appears include civil-law contracts, where the Pflichtigen must perform contract obligations; family law, where maintenance or child-support obligations create duties for the Pflichtigen; and tax or social-security matters, where certain individuals or entities are Pflichtigen to contribute to funds. In administrative or procedural settings, deadlines, penalties, or remedies are often tied to the status of the Pflichtigen.

Relation to related terms: the Pflichtigen is contrasted with the Gläubiger (creditor or beneficiary) who has the right to demand performance. In everyday language, terms like Schuldner (debtor) or Beitragspflichtige (contributor subject to a duty) may be used, depending on context. The emphasis of Pflichtigen is on the existence of a duty to act rather than the right to receive, though both concepts are typically interrelated in a legal relationship.

Origin and usage: the word derives from Pflicht (duty) plus the agent suffix -iger, and it is mainly found in formal or legal language rather than colloquial speech.