by Krystal Nicole Jimenez

Created on: March 25, 2010   Last Updated: March 26, 2010

Chances are that you or someone you know has been cheated on in their relationship, or perhaps you were the guilty party. In fact a study by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology showed that 21% percent of men who are married or living with someone has cheated. Women were found to have cheated at a 1 in 9.09 ratio, equally to roughly 11 percent. 

Coincidentally the same rate at which women in America own a firearm.  And of the individuals that have not cheated 1 in 3.3 people in relationships have fantasized about cheating.

Recently though a North Carolina woman established a monumental declaration that not only is the cheating spouse the guilty party, but so is the neighbor, friend or coworker that they have cheated with. Cynthia Shackelford’s husband was part of the male cheating population after what Shackelford assumed was a happy marriage lasting 33 years.

She fell victim to the odds that 1 in 2.7 people who cheat have the affair with a co-worker. When the affair split their household apart, Shackelford took a radical step.

Based off a law dating back more than 200 years, when women were still considered property Cynthia Shackelford sued her husband’s mistress Anne Lundquist for “alienation of affection.”

In the suit she made justification of Lundquist’s alienation of Mr. Shackelford from Mrs. Schackelford attributing to the numerous phone calls to their house, and plentiful rides to her house. Mr. Shackelford has said that he had wanted to divorce his wife prior to initiating the affair but did not.

Mrs. Shackelford’s won the case and was awarded $9 million, though Lundquist has already stated she will appeal. When appealing the case though Lundquist would need to be present for the case, or hire a lawyer which she did neither of during the initial trial.

Cynthia Shackelford wanted this case to be a message to all the other women in men that are breaking-up family homes. She quoted to CBS, “I’m just trying to send a message to other people that are like Anne Lindquist, that if they’re looking at somebody else’s husband that’s still living at home, that’s still sleeping in the marital bedroom, that still sleeping in martial bed, to leave him alone.”

North Carolina is not the only state that has an alienation of affection law. Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah have this same law.

Beware then when pursuing this option that it is difficult to win, and can only be filed if the marriage ends in divorce or abandonment. If counseling is your preferred method, or “moving on” the case would not hold enough merit.

Shackelford’s case has made history in that no longer is the guilty spouse the only person to be sought after for the destruction of a marriage, and will hopefully give second thoughts to all those 3rd party individuals seeking relationships with married co-workers and friends.

References:

http://outlier.bookofodds.com/content/view/full/4845 97

http://cbs2.com/watercooler/mistress.lawsuit.affecti on.2.1584907.html

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