Opinion ID: 1895485
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the common-law tort of alienation of affections should be abolished as a legal cause of action

Text: The right to recover under the doctrine of alienation of affections has its origin in the common law. Hunt v. Hunt, 309 N.W.2d 818, 820 (S.D.1981). This common law basis exists despite statutory codification. [1] Id. In Hunt, we abolished the common-law tort action for criminal conversation but preserved the tort of alienation of affections. [2] The national trend is toward the judicial or statutory abrogation of alienation of affections as a legal cause of action. Id. at 821-822 and cases cited therein; Fundermann v. Mickelson, 304 N.W.2d 790 (Iowa 1981) and cases cited therein. [3]