Case Name: Zurviah Willard, Libellant, versus Joshua Willard
Court: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts
Decision Date: 1808-09
Citations: 3 Tyng 506
Docket Number: 
Parties: Zurviah Willard, Libellant, versus Joshua Willard.
Judges: 
Reporter: Massachusetts Reports
Volume: 4
Pages: 442–443

Head Matter:
Zurviah Willard, Libellant, versus Joshua Willard.
A libel, by a feme covert, for a divorce, must he subscribed by herself, and not by an attorney.
The libel in this case was for a divorce a vinculo, and was subscribed by one naming himself attorney to the libellant.

Opinion:
The Court
objected to this practice, observing that there was no evidence that the supposed libellant had any knowledge of-the filing of the libel in her name.
A. Bigelow said he had a witness in Court, by whom he should prove that the libel was made and prosecuted by direction of the libellant. Whereupon the Court sustained the libel, but cautioned the bar against such a practice in future.