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Simple English definitions for legal terms
alienation of affections
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A quick definition of alienation of affections:
Alienation of affections is an old law that lets a married person sue someone who caused their spouse to stop loving them. This is different from getting a divorce. To win the case, the person suing has to prove that the other person did things that made their spouse stop loving them. This usually happens when someone encourages the married person to cheat on their spouse. Some states still allow this type of lawsuit, and people have been awarded millions of dollars in damages.
A more thorough explanation:
Alienation of affections is a legal term that refers to a situation where one person is held responsible for causing the end of a marriage by interfering with the affectionate relationship between the spouses. This law is mostly outdated and is not recognized in most states. However, some states still allow a spouse to sue an individual for alienation of affections.
For example, if a person encourages someone to cheat on their spouse, and as a result, the marriage ends, the other spouse can sue the person for alienation of affections. Similarly, if someone encourages a person to divorce their spouse, and the marriage ends, the other spouse can sue the person for alienation of affections.
It is important to note that the spouse bringing an alienation of affections suit must show that the accused individual took steps that a reasonable person would expect and did result in the ending of the affectionate marriage between the couple. In some cases, million-dollar damages have been awarded to the plaintiff in states that still recognize this cause of action.