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Ronan v. BriggsRonan v. Briggs

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Nov 2, 1966
Reporters:
,

The plaintiff appeals from an order of the Superior Court ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍sustaining generally the defendant’s demurrer to his declaration which alleged that the defendant alienated the affections of his wife ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍and “also the children bom naturally of their marriage.” Although not stated in the declaration, the action is presumably one ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍in tort. The declaration did not allege loss of consortium by the husband and was thereby rendered vulnerable to ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍a demurrer. Neville v. Gile, 174 Mass. 305, 306. Sherry v. Moore, 258 Mass. 420, 423. In addition, no cause of action exists for the alienation of ‍‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍the affections of children. Nelson v. Richwagen, 326 Mass. 485, 486-488.

Order sustaining demurrer affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Ronan v. Briggs
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Nov 2, 1966
Citations: 220 N.E.2d 909; 351 Mass. 700
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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