The contractual liability of the principal may depend upon whether the principal is disclosed, unidentified (partially disclosed), or undisclosed.

Contractual Liability

Liability that arises from entering into a contract, where one party may be obligated to compensate another party for the failure to perform as specified in the contract.

Unidentified Principal

A party in a transaction whose identity is not known to the other party, often in agent-principal relationships.

Disclosed Principal

A disclosed principal is a party whose identity is known by all involved parties at the time a transaction is entered into with an agent.