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Love Affairs and Long-Arm Statutes

BY William R. Wright
June 28, 2011

On Jan. 6, 2011, the Supreme Court of Mississippi affirmed Knight v. Woodfield, an alienation of affection case involving an affair between a married woman in Mississippi and a man who lived in Louisiana. The lovers were never together in Mississippi, yet the supreme court affirmed a lower court's use of Mississippi's long-arm statute to reach the Louisiana defendant. So, beware the married beauties in Mississippi … and Hawaii, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, South Dakota and Utah. The tentacles from the seven states recognizing the tort of alienation of affection continue their broad reach throughout the 50 states.

Background

In the July, 2007, edition of this newsletter, we presented an overview of the tort of alienation of affection. We focused on the dire consequences facing folks who engage in interstate romantic relationships with married people residing in one of the states where this tort is still actionable. The article illustrated that such an illicit relationship may be more than a secret romp in a far-flung place. It could result in a lawsuit under the harsh lights of a distant courthouse.

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