Allows for a cause of action for alienation of affection

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Allows People to Sue for Alienation of Affection

This legislation allows people to sue a third party if that person caused them to lose an important relationship.

What This Bill Does

• Creates a new law allowing someone to sue another person who interfered with their close relationship.
• Requires the court to decide how much money, if any, should be paid as damages in such cases.
• Limits when people can start a lawsuit for alienation of affection to three years after the last harmful act.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who want to sue someone for causing them to lose an important relationship
• The person being sued for interfering with another's close relationship

Terms To Know

Cause of action

A reason why a person can go to court and ask for help, like money or other remedies.

Alienation of affection

When someone interferes with another's close relationship, causing the relationship to end.

Limits and Unknowns

• The law only allows lawsuits against natural persons (individual people), not organizations or companies.
• It is unclear how often this new cause of action will be used in court.

Official Summary Text

Allows for a cause of action for alienation of affection

Current Bill Text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1874
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE REUTER.
4716H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 537, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to a cause of action
based on alienation of af fection.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 537, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 537.552, to read as follows:
537.552. 1. A person may bring a cause of action against a third party for
2 alienation of affection. The third party may be liable for civil damages, to be
3 determined by the court, to the person bringing such action.
4 2. (1) An action for alienation of affection shall be commenced within thr ee
5 years fr om the last act of the third party giving rise to the cause of action.
6 (2) A person may commence a cause of action for alienation of affection against a
7 natural person only .
✔
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.