"They Lied: Make Them Pay"

For those who practice in the domestic relations world, one of the great frustrations comes when a client asks us to extract a sometimes appropriate pound of flesh as compensation for the "pack of lies" contained in a divorce related court pleading. Although it comes in an unpublished opinion the July 14, 2016 opinion in Morley v. Collazzo, the analysis contained in Judge Patricia Jenkin's opinion merits attention because it explains what "lies" are compensable and which are not.  2852 EDA 2016.

For a bit more than three years the parties were involved in a romantic relationship. It ended in early spring, 2013.  A few months later, a senior executive at girlfriend's employer began to receive anonymous mail that included nude photos of the girlfriend accompanied by letters alleging that she was guilty of larceny and illicit use of opiates.  Girlfriend, when notified of this correspondence filed a police report.  She next filed a Protection from Abuse claim.  The PFA