An Extra Vengeful Anti-Philandering Law You Should Know About

Is there such thing as too high a price to pay for an affair? In some states in the U.S., that seems to be the case. George Berg from North Carolina sued his then-wife’s lover for stealing her affections. His price? A settlement of $150,000 paid in monthly installments.

Curious about this extra vengeful anti-philandering law? Here are some things you should know:

Anti-Casanova law
The law, which most people refer to as the ‘tort of the alienation of affection’, is an old law, dating back to the 1800s. It was meant to protect the husband’s interests by fining his wife’s lover so that the husband can buy a new wife. This was practiced among the Germanic tribes to ensure that the bloodlines remained pure. It was also based on the antiquated belief that the husband owned the wife. If she takes on a lover, she was considered stolen from her husband.

In 1864, New York and almost all states in the U.S. established the ‘alienation of affection’ causes of action for men. It was only in the late 19th and 20th centuries that the law was equalized to include women.

By definition, this extra vengeful anti-philandering law states that a husband or wife can file a suit against the lover if his/her spouse leaves them to be with the third party. In order for the law to be effective, the complainant should show that:

- love existed between the spouses before the affair
- the marital relationship was destroyed and alienated
- the third party demonstrated conduct that maliciously interfered with the marital relationship

Although many states have already abolished this law because of its ties to antiquated beliefs and practices and because of its seemingly vengeful nature, it is still a law in several states. Other than North Carolina, there’s Utah, South Carolina, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico, Illinois and New Hampshire that still recognizes this anti-philandering law.

So are people being faithful in these states? Based on recent news stories related to this vengeful anti-philandering law, they aren’t being faithful – they’re being careless. A man in Illinois sued a German guy with whom his wife fell for during a ’swinging’ affair which, strangely enough, the husband encouraged. He was paid $4,800.

In Burlington, North Carolina (again), Dorothy Hutelmyer is suing Lynne Cox for $1 million for stealing her husband Joseph. Cox (now Mrs. Hutelmyer herself), who says she earns less than $500 a month, doesn’t have the money to pay Dorothy’s asking price nor does she have the resources to contest the ruling.

Will this law ever be abolished and free up every state in the U.S. to make philanderers breathe much easier? That remains to be seen, as several states cling stubbornly to this law. If you foresee this extra-vengeful law haunting your future, either stop your philandering ways now or move to another state.