"The elements of a breach of fiduciary duty claim are: (1) a fiduciary relationship between the plaintiff and defendant, (2) a breach by the defendant of his fiduciary duty to the plaintiff, and (3) an injury to the plaintiff or benefit to the defendant as a result of the defendant's breach." Lundy v. Masson, 260 S.W.3d 482, 501 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2008, pet. denied).
Fiduciary duties may arise from formal and informal relationships and may be created by contract. Cotten v. Weatherford Bancshares, Inc., 187 S.W.3d 687, 698 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 2006, pet. denied) disapproved on other grounds by Ritchie v. Rupe, 443 S.W.3d 856, 866 (Tex. 2014).
Fiduciary duties arise as a matter of law in certain formal relationships, including attorney-client and trustee relationships. Meyer v. Cathey, 167 S.W.3d 327, 330-31 (Tex. 2005). But an informal fiduciary duty may arise from a moral, social, domestic, or purely personal relationship of trust and confidence, and these types of relationships are generally called a confidential relationship. Hubbard v. Shankle, 138 S.W.3d 474, 483 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 2004, pet. denied).
A confidential relationship exists where influence has been acquired and abused and confidence has been extended and betrayed. Cotten, 187 S.W.3d at 698. The existence of a confidential relationship is ordinarily a question of fact. Id.
SOURCE: FORT WORTH COURT OF APPEALS - No. 02-14-00294-CV. - 1/16/2017
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