Co-respondent
Encyclopedia
In English law
, a co-respondent is, in general, a respondent
to a petition
, or other legal proceeding, along with another or others, or a person called upon to answer in some other way.
, in a petition for divorce
on the ground of adultery
, a co-respondent is a person charged with misconduct with the petitioner's spouse. Co-respondent shoes
is an expression, meaning unusually patterned or coloured men's shoes that are easily remembered, for example, when left outside the hotel room in which the adultery may be taking place.
, alleged parties to a spouse's adultery must be made co-respondents unless they are not named in the petition or the court directs otherwise.
In practice, naming such parties in a divorce petition is discouraged as it may become a barrier to reconciliation. Such parties are only commonly named if the petitioner is seeking costs against them or has some other particular reason.
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
, a co-respondent is, in general, a respondent
Defendant
A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute...
to a petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
, or other legal proceeding, along with another or others, or a person called upon to answer in some other way.
Divorce
More particularly, since the Matrimonial Causes Act 1857Matrimonial Causes Act 1857
The Matrimonial Causes Act 1857 was an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act reformed the law on divorce, moving litigation from the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts to the civil courts, establishing a model of marriage based on contract rather than...
, in a petition for divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
on the ground of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, a co-respondent is a person charged with misconduct with the petitioner's spouse. Co-respondent shoes
Spectator shoes
The Spectator shoe is a style of low-heeled, oxford, semi-brogue or full brogue constructed from two contrasting colors, typically having the toe and heel cap and sometimes the lace panels in a darker color than the main body of the shoe...
is an expression, meaning unusually patterned or coloured men's shoes that are easily remembered, for example, when left outside the hotel room in which the adultery may be taking place.
, alleged parties to a spouse's adultery must be made co-respondents unless they are not named in the petition or the court directs otherwise.
In practice, naming such parties in a divorce petition is discouraged as it may become a barrier to reconciliation. Such parties are only commonly named if the petitioner is seeking costs against them or has some other particular reason.