criminal conversation. Archaic. A tort action for adultery, brought by a husband against a third party who en-gaged in sexual intercourse with his wife. • Criminal conversation has been abolished in most jurisdictions. — Abbr. crim. con. See HEARTBALM STATUTE. [Cases: Husband and Wife 340–354.] “An action (whether of trespass or case is uncertain, but […]
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open and notorious. 1. NOTORIOUS(2). 2. (Of adultery) known and recognized by the public and flouting the accepted standards of morality in the community. [Cases: Adultery 1; Divorce 26. C.J.S. Adultery §§ 2–8; Divorce §§ 60, 70.]
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avowter. Hist. An adulterer. • The crime was called avowtry. — Also spelled advouterer; avowterer; avouter; advowter.
A special type of marriage in which the parties agree to more stringent requirements for marriage and divorce than are otherwise imposed by state law for ordinary marriages. • In the late 1990s, several states (beginning with Louisiana: see Acts 1997, No. 1380, § 5) passed laws providing for covenant marriages. The requirements vary, but
marital misconduct. Any of the various statutory grounds for a fault divorce, such as adultery or cruelty. See fault divorce under DIVORCE.
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corespondent. 1. A coparty who responds to a petition, such as a petition for a writ of certiorari. 2. In some states, a coparty who responds to an appeal. 3. Family law. In a divorce suit based on adultery, the person with whom the spouse is accused of having committed adultery. See RESPONDENT. [Cases: Divorce
advoutry (ad-vow-tree), n. [Law French] Hist. Adultery between two married persons. — Also spelled advowtry.
condone (k[schwa]n-dohn), vb. To voluntarily pardon or overlook (esp. an act of adultery). — condonable (k[schwa]n-dohn-[schwa]-b[schwa]l), adj.
de estoveriis habendis (dee es-t[schwa]-veer-ee-is h[schwa]-ben-dis), n. [Law Latin “for having estovers”] Hist. A writ allowing a wife divorced a mensa et thoro (“from bed and board”) to recover alimony or estovers. — Often shortened to estoveriis habendis. “In case of divorce a mensa et thoro, the law allows alimony to the wife which is
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