co-respondent
Named third party
A co-respondent is the person cited in a divorce proceeding as having committed adultery with the spouse being divorced.
The term belongs to an older era of fault-based divorce law, when proving infidelity required naming the third party: The husband was named as co-respondent in the case.
The hyphen distinguishes it from correspondent, one who corresponds.
Lover in secret affair
- loverRomantic intimate
- mistressIllicit female lover
- extramaritalOutside the marriage bond
- trystSecret romantic meeting
liaison · infidelity · adultery · cheating · clandestine · illicit · third party · other woman
Legal end of matrimony
- adulteryMarried person's sexual betrayal
- petitionFormal written appeal
- defendantParty facing charges
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
alimony · custody · plaintiff · attorney · deposition · matrimonial · settlement · trial
Sensationalist newspaper format
- headlineNews article title
- sensationalArousing intense excitement
- exposéInvestigative journalism piece
- gossipInformal talk spreading rumors
notoriety · shame · disgrace · named · publicity · rumor · reputation · indiscretion
paramour
Lover in secret affair
- loverRomantic intimate
- mistressIllicit female lover
- extramaritalOutside the marriage bond
tryst · liaison · infidelity · adultery · cheating · clandestine · illicit · third party · other woman · other man
divorce
Legal end of matrimony
testimony · alimony · custody · plaintiff · attorney · deposition · matrimonial · settlement · trial · evidence
tabloid
Sensationalist newspaper format
- headlineNews article title
- sensationalArousing intense excitement
- exposéInvestigative journalism piece
gossip · notoriety · shame · disgrace · named · publicity · rumor · reputation · indiscretion · revelation
co-respondentpetitioner
One who formally requests
plaintiff · complainant · respondent · spouse
respond, respondent, response, responses, responsive, responsively, responsiveness, unresponsive, responder