It is difficult enough when you learn that your spouse has cheated on you and divorce seems inevitable. In some states, however, the injured party can seek legal action against the cheating spouse, seeking damages for "alienation of affection."
If you have been wronged before, you may have heard of "heart balm torts," or lawsuits seeking damages for adultery. In essence, you are charging your spouse with the intentional damage to your relationship by having relations with another man/woman. You can also sue your spouse for "criminal conversation," which is a similar charge that is linked to adultery.
When you want to prove that alienation of affection has occurred in your marriage, you need to prove several things. Since many of these items are not tangible, seeking this kind of lawsuit can be difficult, although not impossible. You must show that there was once love in the marriage, and that the adulterous situation destroyed that love completely.
If alienation of affection is a concern of yours, contact our firm to receive help from a Raleigh family lawyer.