Can you sue mistress for emotional distress

ABC News reported in February that in such a lawsuit, Elizabeth Edwards could argue that Young, by allegedly helping cover up John Edwards' extramarital affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, was partly responsible for the failure of the Edwards' marriage. Rosen said that alienation of affection claims evolved from common law under which women were considered the property of their husbands.

If another man was accused of stealing his "property," a husband could sue him for damages. Today, both men and women sue under the law. Cynthia Shackelford feels fortunate to live in a state where alienation of affection claims are recognized. Though she blames both her husband and Lundquist for the affair, she hopes her case convinces women to think twice about pursuing romances with married men.

Shackelford said that her husband and Lundquist met while Lundquist worked as a dean at Guilford College in Greensboro, N. The college, at the time, received legal service from Allan Shackelford, who was then practicing law in North Carolina. Shackelford's North Carolina law license since has been suspended for his failure to complete continuing legal education requirements in the state, according to the North Carolina State Bar.

In her lawsuit, Shackelford claimed Lundquist began "deliberately to seduce" Allan Shackelford in November or earlier. Eventually, she began noticing unexplained charges to expensive restaurants on his credit card bills and cell phone bills showing many calls to Lundquist.

When Shackelford confronted her husband about her suspicions, he would insist that Lundquist was "just a friend. Still worried, Shackelford hired a private investigator. The investigator, she said, saw her husband and Lundquist spending time together at the Shackelfords' Greensboro home. The couple separated in and sold the five-bedroom Greensboro home. Today, Cynthia Shackelford lives with her dog in an apartment in Raleigh, N. Division of Property.

Divorce and Social Media. Domestic Violence. Estate Planning. Independent Legal Advice. Narcissistic Exes. Power of Attorney. Prenuptial Agreements. Procedural Fairness. Same-Sex Divorce. Spousal Support. Succession Planning. The Matrimonial Home. What Happened? Specifically, the wife argued that she had experienced: Breach of a duty to care and fiduciary duty; Negligence; Intentional and negligent infliction of mental distress; Harassment; Psychological abuse; and Conspiracy to injure.

The court noted that such questions would best be left for a full trial. Lessons Learned There is no public record of further proceedings in this matter, and it is unclear how subsequent legal proceeding may have unfolded. Contact Form - Contact Us Fill out this form to request a free consultation and someone will call or email you as soon as possible. States repealed alienation of affection statutes.

North Carolina has the highest number of alienation of affection lawsuits in the nation, and the majority of plaintiffs win their cases. Take, for example, the family that Elle covered in its story about the alienation of affection lawsuits. The husband cheated on his wife with another woman and left her when his mistress became pregnant.

After her divorce , the ex-wife was working as a bartender and telling her story to a couple of patrons who turned out to be attorneys.

They convinced her to file an alienation of affection lawsuit, and she stood up for herself in court. That is when the husband met his mistress at work.