You Can Still Sue for "Alienation of Affection"

Who knew?

Archaic Law Still Hangs Around

Whoa. I don't know what's worse: actually having a law like this still on the books, or having to use it to sue someone. "Alienation of affection," The Frisky pointed out, can still be filed as a third-party lawsuit when someone has messed around in your marriage. So if Elin Nordegren lived in Illinois, New Mexico, Mississippi, Hawaii, Utah, North Carolina, or South Dakota, she could be going after like 11 women right now... instead of just her husband.

Apparently, these laws were originally in place to protect women as property, which is why it's so distasteful. (Men could sue each other if someone tried to take an illicit lovah, like the neighbor's wife.) What's NOT distasteful, of course, is suing the pants off the jerk who was 50% responsible for the downfall of your relationship, so you'll have to weigh the pros and cons with this one.

"When folks are getting divorced, the threat of having the person's new boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife dragged into court and the dirty laundry aired ... causes enormous pressure," Professor Matt Steffey of the Mississippi College of Law told The Frisky.

There is some disagreement on whether or not the law should stick around, and readers were split down the middle. While MuchoMacho asked "would i sue him for alienation of affection? if he survived the shotgun blast to the face," another (Dudette) said "Isnt our legal system burdened enough? Seems selfish and ridiculous to me."

What's your opinion on Alienation of Affection lawsuits? Are they worth it? You can check out more information on them from our partner, The Frisky.