Mistress’s Beware

The old adage, “Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn,” is well understood by us men folk.  Thanks, however, to an old law currently on the books in a few states, women will now be subject to the fury of their fellow females’ scorn.

In a common enough story, Cynthia Shackelford found herself, at the age of 62, single and unskilled (after giving up her career to raise her children).  Attorney Allan Shackelford, a man of questionable judgment but with a supreme grasp of the cliché, decided to leave Cynthia for a younger woman, 49 year old Anne Lundquist. 

Luckily for Cynthia, North Carolina has an old law called the “alienation of affection.” The law evolved under common law as means of husbands to protect their “property.”  If a woman left her husband, he could sue the other man for a loss of “property.”  Fast forward a few hundred years and the ironic result?  Cynthia Shackelford was able to sue Anne Lundquist, and was awarded a whopping $9 million!

Unfortunately for Washington state women who might find themselves in a similar situation, they have never been considered property, and thus no “alienation of affection” law exists.

Of course, Washington women who give up their careers to raise children are often very vulnerable in the dissolution of their marriages.  Their lack of recent work experience, combined with advanced age, often make it difficult for them find work in a highly competitive and fluid work market.  It is very important, if you are facing the potential break up of a marriage, to find a Washington State divorce attorney who will aggressively fight for a fair amount of spousal support.

A good WA State divorce lawyer should also argue for disproportionate share of the couple’s property at the time dissolution.  This is especially true if her husband is still working, and she has been a stay at home mom for many years.