Lawyers Without Billboards
Real lawyers, real talk—without the billboards. Lawyers Without Billboards is an unfiltered look at family law, hosted by the partners of Shewmaker & Lewis: Steve and Patty Shewmaker, and Jimmy and Alexa Lewis.
With decades of experience in divorce, custody battles, child support, alimony, and criminal law, they break down legal myths, share expert insights, and dive into real cases (sometimes with a side of humor).
Expect candid conversations, legal deep dives, and the occasional sidebar on pop culture, legal movies, and life as family law attorneys. Whether you're navigating a family law issue, practicing law yourself, or just enjoy courtroom drama, this podcast offers valuable insights with a dose of levity.
New episodes every two weeks
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Lawyers Without Billboards
Alienation of Affection: When Cheating Becomes a Lawsuit | Lawyers Without Billboards - Ep 43
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In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, Steve, Patty, Jimmy, and Alexa kick off a new series on national cases of note with a deceptively simple question:
Can you sue the person your spouse cheated with?
The answer depends entirely on where you live.
The team breaks down the rarely used - but very real - tort of alienation of affection, a law that still exists in only a handful of states and has produced some eye-popping jury verdicts.
They unpack:
- What alienation of affection actually is and where it still applies
- The recent North Carolina case involving a social media influencer and a $1.75 million verdict
- Why Georgia (and most states) abolished this claim decades ago
- Whether it makes sense to blame the third party instead of the cheating spouse
- How damages are calculated - including the role of social media and monetization
- Why judges generally hate this cause of action
Along the way, the episode delivers the usual Lawyers Without Billboards mix of legal insight, history, sarcasm, and brutal honesty.
If you’re curious how an affair can turn into a full-blown lawsuit - or why most states decided this law should die - this episode explains it all.
👇 CHAPTERS 👇
00:00 – Intro: Lawyers Without Billboards
00:45 – New series: National cases of note
01:25 – Pop quiz: “If you’re defending, you’re spending”
03:00 – Can you sue the person your spouse cheated with?
04:00 – What is alienation of affection?
05:00 – Which states still allow these lawsuits
06:15 – Is alienation of affection old law or new trend?
07:10 – The North Carolina influencer case explained
10:45 – What must be proven to win an alienation claim
12:30 – The $1.75 million verdict and damage breakdown
14:45 – Should the third party really be blamed?
16:30 – Why most states abolished alienation of affection
18:15 – Massive verdicts and jury behavior
19:45 – Final takeaways and lessons learned ?
🎙️ Hosts:
Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis
Shewmaker & Lewis – Atlanta, GA
🔔 Subscribe for real talk about law, courts, and culture.
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📩 Contact: sshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com
🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com
🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards
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🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez at Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc.
🎬 Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner
📍 Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA