Can I sue my spouse for intentionally harming me or my property?

Originally published by Michelle O'Neil.

In civil law, a wrong done by one person against another that could result in legal liability is called a tort. Generally the actor must have owed a duty to the victim of the tort to not harm the person, violated that duty which caused the victim harm. The remedy for a tort is monetary damages.

So, can a spouse commit a tort against another spouse? The answer in Texas is yes. In 1987, the Texas Supreme Court permitted interspousal lawsuits for tort causes of action. Price v. Price, 732 S.W.2d 316 (Tex. 1987). Tort actions can include physical assault or injury, but can also include emotional damage or even property damage. The main challenge with maintaining an interspousal tort suit in the context of divorce is finding a source of funds from which to pay damages. The cost of pursing a tort claim can be greatly outweighed if no source of funds exists from which to fund damages.

Here’s a list of domestic torts from the Fall 2016 issue of the ABA’s Family Advocate article Civil Relief for Uncivil Behavior:

Intentional Torts

1. Physical assault
2. Nonphysical assault
3. Sexual assault
4. Marital rape
5. Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse
6. Intentional transmission of a veneral disease
7. Intentional infliction of emotional distress
8. Physical stalking
9. Cyberstalking
10. False arrest and imprisonment
11. False imprisonments
12. Defamation: libel and slander
13. Battered spouse syndrome
14. Deceit and fraudulent misrepresentation
15. Child abuse
16. Child molestation
17. Interference with parent-child relationship
18. Kidnapping, child-snatching, and abductin
19. Child enticement and harboring
20. Invasion of privacy
21. Wiretapping
22. Eavesdropping and visual prying
23. Surveillance by shadowing
24. Public disclosure of private facts
25. Alienation of affections
26. Interference with family relationship
27. Interference with marital relationship
28. Criminal conversation
29. Seduction
30. Breach of promise to marry
31. Fraudulent inducement to marry
32. Fraudulent inducement to cohabit
33. Fraudulent inducement to continue marital relationship
34. Fraudulent inducement to procure settlement agreement
35. Fraudulent inducement to admit paternity
36. Fraudulent promise to impregnate
37. Fraudulent misrepresentation of birth control practice
38. Malicious prosecution
39. Abuse of process
40. Vexatious litigation
41. Intentional spoliation of evidence
42. Breach of fiduciary duty
43. Fraudulent conveyance
44. Unjust enrichment
45. Conversion
46. Third-party transmission of sexual disease
47. Intentional interference with custodial rights
48. Failure to report evidence of child abuse
49. Incest
50. Abuse of sexual contact
51. Sexual exploitation
52. Female genital mutilation
53. Blackmail
54. Extortion
55. Wrongful death
56. Professional malpractice
57. International child abduction
58. Interference with parent-child relationship
59. Harassment
60. Molestation
61. Violation of a criminal statute
62. Aiding and abetting tortious conduct
63. Intentional enlistment of a public safety officer

Electronic Torts

1. Invasion of privace: intrusion upon seclusion
2. Invasion of privacy: public disclosure of pirvate facts
3. Wiretapping
4. Interception of emails
5. Accessing stored emails
6. Video surveillance
7. Non-videosurveillance
8. Cell phone wiretapping
9. Extension phones
10. Vicarious consent doctrine
11. Privacy at home
12. Privacy at work
13. Privacy in public (eavesdropping)
14. Discarded trash
15. Breachofcomputer security
16. Pen register/trap-an-trace device
17. Unlawful access of stored communications
18. Illegal divulgence
19. Unlawful installation of a tracking device
20. Stalking, electronig and cyber

Property Torts

1. Trespass to land
2. Trespass to chattels
3. Conversion
4. Detinue
5. Replevin
6. Trover

Dignitary Torts

1. Defamation
2. Libel
3. Slander
4. Invasion of privacy
5. Breach of confidence
6. False light
7. Publication of private facts
8. Abuse of process
9. Malicious prosecution
10. Alienation of affections

Economic Torts

1. Fraud
2. Tortious interference
3. Conspiracy
4. Restraint of trade

Nuisance Torts

1. Private nuisance
2. Public nuisance

Negligence Torts

1. General negligence
2. Negligence per se
3. Negligent entrustment
4. Negligent handling of animals
5. Negligent hiring
6. Negligent infliction of emotional distress
7. Negligent misrepresentation

Duty to Visitor Torts

1. Attractive nuisance
2. Trespasser
3. Licensee
4. Invitee

Strict Liability Torts

1. Strict liability
2. Ultrahazardous activity

 

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