Should lovers of cheating spouses be sued?

The article says Victorian-era laws gave men the right to sue anyone who had seduced their wives in order to safeguard family unity. Lovers could be sued for "criminal conversation," meaning extramarital sex and "alienation of affection" for destroying the love between husband and wife.

These laws were abolished in most of the United States by 1930, however they have remained in effect up to date in seven states - North Carolina, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota and Utah.

Newsweek contributor Susanna Schrobsdorff points it out that the alienation-of-affection laws were originally used by men to sue their wife's male lover, but nowadays they are more often taken advantage of by wives wanting to take revenge on their husband's mistresses.

Schrobsdorff cites the case of a 60-year-old former teacher, who won a $9-million judgment against her husband's lover, whom she accused of "alienation of affection" that resulted in the end of her 33-year marriage.


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