One betrayed wife sued her cheating husband's mistress for
$9 million for breaking up her marriage -- and won!
Photo: istockphoto.com / Sean Locke
In what could only be called the ultimate revenge, a betrayed wife sued her husband’s mistress for alienation of affection and was awarded $9 million.
This is Part 1 of a 2-part article which tells how one betrayed wife got revenge on her cheating husband and his mistress, by bringing a multimillion lawsuit against the Other Woman, using an obscure law that only 7 states still have on their books.
Part 2, entitled Suing Your Husband’s Mistress for Alienation of Affection and Other Legal Forms of Revenge tells how you can do the same thing if you live in one of the 7 states that still have this law on their books. The second article also explains 3 important things you must do before you proceed.
North Carolina wife, Cynthia Shackelford, 60, sued her husband's mistress, Anne Lundquist, 49 for ruining her marriage, claiming alienation of affection, criminal conversation (a legal reference to adultery) and intentionally or recklessly causing severe emotional distress.
North Carolina is one of only 7 states that still have the “Alienation of Affection” law still on the books.
NOTE: An “alienation of affection” lawsuit is one of the legal and financial ways to get revenge mentioned in the free infidelity tip sheet, How to Legally and Financially Get Revenge on a Cheating Mate.
The Betrayed Wife’s Side of the Story
Shackelford, said her husband Allan, an attorney, met Lundquist, the alleged mistress while providing legal services for Guilford College, where Lundquist was the dean of campus life at the time.
Cynthia Shackelford told the jury she gave up teaching to raise two children and support her husband's career. She said that when she and her husband separated, she was forced to move in with friends because she could not afford an apartment.
According to court records, Shackelford’s husband has never paid court-ordered spousal support and faces arrest on a contempt of court charge for violating that support order.
The jury awarded Shackelford, the betrayed wife, $9 million - $5 million in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages.
What the Alleged Mistress Has to Say
Anne Lundquist, the alleged mistress, who is now facing a $9 million judgment for having an affair with a married man, plans to appeal the verdict. Lundquist ,says she does not have, and is unlikely to ever have, $9 million dollars to pay her lover’s wife.
A Message to Mistresses, Home Wreckers and Other Women Who Target Married Men
Cynthia Shackelford, who says she wasn’t in it for the money realizes she may never collect her alienation of affection award of $9 million.
Referring to her alienation of affection lawsuit, she said that its purpose was to send a message to women like her husband’s mistress to keep them from going after other married spouses who are still living at home and sleeping in the marital bed.
Shackleford said she’d like for people to respect the sanctity of marriage, adding "You don't go after married men and break up families.”
Alienation of Affection Lawsuits Against the Other Woman or Other Man
Jilted spouses of either sex can sue the Other Woman or Other Man for alienation of affection if they live in North Carolina, or one of the 6 other states that still have alienation of affection laws on their books. See the free tip sheet , How to Legally and Financially Get Revenge on a Cheating Mate for a complete list of the 7 states, and more information on how to proceed.
According to the ABA Journal, there are approximately 200 alienation of affection lawsuits in the state of North Carolina each year.
One North Carolina law firm reports that in 1997 a woman was awarded $1.2 million in a similar case. A jury granted a jilted husband $243,000. Another husband was granted $1.4 million. The decision was later reversed, but the distraught husband still ended up with $500,000.
But before you rush out and retain an attorney for your alienation of affection lawsuit, there are 3 important things you need to do. To find out what they are, see Part 2 of this article entitled Suing Your Husband’s Mistress for Alienation of Affection and Other Legal Forms of Revenge - part 2.
Other Legal and Financial Ways to Get Revenge
If you happen to live in one of the other 43 states, that no longer have alienation of affection laws on the books, don’t despair. There are still more than a dozen legal and financial ways you can get back at a cheating spouse.
For details, request the free tip sheet entitled How to Legally and Financially Get Revenge on a Cheating Mate, by sending an e-mail to InfidelityInfo@gmail.com with the words “Legal Revenge Tip Sheet - Xm” in the subject line.
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*** © copyright 2010 Ruth Houston All Rights Reserved.
Ruth Houston is a New York-based infidelity expert who is frequently called on by the media to comment on high profile infidelity and popular infidelity issues in the news. She is the author of Is He Cheating on You? - 829 Telltale Signs, the founder of www.InfidelityAdvice.com and publishes the Infidelity News and Views blog. To interview Ruth Houston call 718 592-6029 or e-mail InfidelityExpert@gmail.com
For more information on mistresses, cheating spouses, and getting revenge on a cheating mate, see:
How to Sue Your Husband’s Mistress – Basic Things You Need to Know
Suing the Mistress Can Sometimes be a Good Strategic Move
Suing Your Husband’s Mistress for Alienation of Affection and Other Legal Forms of Revenge part 2
Which States Allow a Wife to Sue a Husband’s Mistress and What Does this Involve?
How to Legally and Financially Get Revenge on a Cheating Mate (free tip sheet)
What You Need to Know About Your Husband’s Mistress and Why
How Betrayed Wives and Other Infidelity Victims Get Revenge on Their Cheating Mates
Why the Wife is STILL the Last to Know
How Wives with Cheating Husbands Can Gain the Upper Hand (free tip sheet)
Modern Day Mistresses Who Ruined Their Lover’s Lives – Part 1
More Modern Day Mistresses Who Ruined Their Lover’s Lives – Part 2
Is He Cheating? Is She Cheating? – 21 Ways You Can Tell (free tip sheet)
Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs (soft cover)
Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs (e-book version)
Free Infidelity Tip Sheets and Special Reports
Infidelity Resources to Help You Catch a Cheating Mate
Comments
How pathetic this scorned woman is! The other woman had NO obligation to her other than-- maybe-- a moral one. Her husband was the one who broke his obligation to her. Why didn't she go after him? Because what fun is that??? She sounds like a vengeful vindictive old hag who was mad because HER HUSBAND didn't want her anymore! Can make someone love ya honey and judging from your actions, prob the reason he left you in the first place. Get over youself.
You are probably the other woman to many wives who want revenge and you are scared that they will sue you. I do not like you
Hmmm...sounds like Julia may have reason to be on the attack of the "hag" as she refers to the betrayed wife. Could it be that you are or have been the "other woman?" Just an interesting thought. And remember it takes two willing participants, and the so-called mistress certainly wasn't innocent.
I think this case is more telling of the fact that our jury is comprised of idiots. I feel badly for the abandoned wife. I do. And yeah, maybe the mistress did need some kindo fine levied against her, but this amount is ridiculous. It's tantamount to a child on the playground charging "a million, gazillion dollars" for her mud pie. Did they even get information into Lundquists accounts to see what a more reasonable amount would be...not as compensation but as a fine of sorts.
The mistress deserved every bit of what she got.
I totally agree with you Julia, he is the one who broke the marital promise of for better or worse, in sickness and in health and till death us do part. The mistress did not make those promises. I am a believer that there is something not right in a marriage when a spouse has an affair whether it be husband or wife and normally when it gets to that point its obvious that there were problems maybe she should have tried to fix it. I guess the easy way out is to blame the other person for messing up your marriage then looking at yourself in the mirror.
This is one of the most asinine things I have ever heard, the other woman has no obligation to a mans wife. His wife has a right to be angry at both of them, but she is not entitled to 9 million dollars. A fine of 9 thousand dollars would be more than enough. She should be after her husband, he is the one who married her after all.
You want to promote revenge, you know what's next, legalized contracts for murdering someone when their behavior doesn't suit you or the initial contract. What about the jilted wife's behavior, it takes 2 to make and break a marriage. This is madness, send a message my ash, how many females step out on their mates. Only in America, which is falling from within. Digusting blog.
According to a website that I was just on, in Hong Kong (or somewhere else that has i similar name,cant remember) the betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her husband but only with her bare hands.
Yes I do agree that it takes two to tango. There is nothing worse that someone who cheats on someone. The morally correct approach would be for the Husband/Wife to come forward and say " I dont want to be married to you anymore..get Divorced..then go on with your lives. But I do agree that the Mistress was at fault, as well, and I am glad that the wife exposed that bottom feeder and won her day in Court. It always the guys fault...that a bunch of bull. good for you justice has been served.
Ok, let's see, if the mistress had sex with his son,would it not be her fault? Well, she did. A family is a unit (one) & when the mistress had sex with the father, she had sex with the wife & children. She's as much at fault as the husband, even more, if she set traps/pursued. Its just as perverted for a woman to seek or agree to have sex with a man knowing he is married. When 2 people get married they have a contract on earth & a covenant in heaven. They are each other's property. He belongs to her& she belongs to him. Even IF the wife left her front door unlocked, still does not give another woman the right to walk in and steal her stuff. You know this man is not your husband because your name is not on the contract. It doesn't matter who started. If the married man asked you to stick your head in a toilet, would you? No, because it's disgusting, so is sleeping with a married man & you still do it? You helped him murder a family/innocent people. You are an accomplice to the crime.
Well being the man whose wife left him for a multi millionaire,less than 2 months after meeting him I hope I am in one of the 7 states that still have this on its books.He is 30 years older than her.Maybe enough of these judgments would put an end to rich people blinding spouses with money,They really only want them for one thing.After a judgement against them,they may realize prostitutes were cheaper than busting up families.
yes i have a comment about my husbands secret love life affair with some other woman who i know who this woman happens to be and her name is ziva from ncis as a cowworker who works at the same place as my husband does and in real life she is only 17 and a half years old and i'm 26 and a half years old i'm smarter and much more wiser compared to most of you're younger adults had more life experience's of my own however ziva is this complete totally opposite individual than from me what can i do want a lawsuit performance in action!
I disagree with most of the comments. There should be laws that make both cheating parties responsible, if there were laws and more things you could sue them on maybe they would think twice. It would also help protect the family unit, the law does everything to protect the child of an affair, but nothing for the children within the marriage. The other woman/man should have to help pay for the counseling/therapy for any children that was in the marriage-because it was half their fault. People don't think about all the hurt this situation causes the spouse either, so they should be responsible for a part of their therapy too and any medical bills that the affair caused.
I've been cheated on too but I still think this is a pathetic way for woman to stay stuck in powerless victim mode and deal with their grief!
Does anyone have experience with suing a prostitute? Would this apply? He saw her on and off on business trips in Chicago for almost two years,says he saw her maybe a total of 20 times,anything would help thank you.The thing that makes me sick is she is 25 years old. My husband and I are oth in our late 50's.
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