Wis. Stat. » CHAPTER 768 — ACTIONS ABOLISHED
Wisconsin Statutes

Wis. Stat. § 768.01 (2026)

Actions for breach of promise, alienation of affection and criminal conversation abolished

✓ current as of July 2026
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768.01768.01 Actions for breach of promise, alienation of affection and criminal conversation abolished. All causes of action for breach of contract to marry, alienation of affections and criminal conversation are hereby abolished, except that this section shall not apply to contracts now existing or to causes of action which heretofore accrued.
768.01 HistoryHistory: 1971 c. 220; 1979 c. 32 s. 51; Stats. 1979 s. 768.01.
768.01 AnnotationThis chapter does not bar actions for recovery of gifts conditioned on marriage, regardless of why the marriage did not occur. Brown v. Thomas, 127 Wis. 2d 318, 379 N.W.2d 868 (Ct. App. 1985).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 22 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1983–2022 · leading case: Koestler v. Pollard, 471 N.W.2d 7 (Wis. 1991).
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Koestler v. Pollard, 471 N.W.2d 7 (Wis. 1991). · cites it 10× “[3, 4] While the third and fourth facts contained in Koestler's complaint are not essential to a claim for criminal conversation, they all flow directly from the facts constituting criminal conversation which are alleged in Koestler's complaint.”
Pritzlaff v. Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 533 N.W.2d 780 (Wis. 1995). · cites it 5× “Further, she claims that the sexual relationship *317 was "without her consent" and was a result of "force and coerc[ion].”
Nelson v. Jacobsen, 669 P.2d 1207 (Utah 1983). · cites it 2× “1983); Wis. Stat. Ann. § 768.01 (West 1980); Wyo.”
Veeder v. Kennedy, 1999 SD 23 (S.D. 1999). · cites it 2× “…(McKinney 1992); North Dakota, NDCentCode § 14-02-06 (1997); Oklahoma, OklaStat tit 76, § 8.1 (1995); Oregon, OrRevStat § 30.840 (1997); Pennsylvania, 23 PaConsStat § 1901 (1991); Rhode Island, RIGenLaws § 9-1-42 (1997); Tennessee, TennCodeAnn § 36-3-701 (1996); Texas,…”
Thomas v. Siddiqui, 869 S.W.2d 740 (Mo. 1994). · cites it 4× “§ 39-13-508 (1993) (abolishing criminal conversation and seduction but not mentioning alienation of affections); Texas, Tex.”
Gilbert v. Barkes, 987 S.W.2d 772 (Ky. 1999). · cites it 2× “Code § 56-3-2a (1997)); Wisconsin (Wis.Stat.Ann. § 768.01 (West 1993)); Wyoming (Wyo.”
Russo v. Sutton, 422 S.E.2d 750 (S.C. 1992). · cites it 2× “1991); Wis. Stat. Ann. § 768.01 (1981); Wyo. Stat.”
Fitch v. Valentine, 959 So. 2d 1012 (Miss. 2007). “980 (2004); Rhode Island, R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-42 (1997); Tennessee, Tenn.”
Cannon v. Miller, 322 S.E.2d 780 (N.C. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 3× “1984); Wis. Stat. Ann. § 768.01 (West 1981); Wyo.”
Wright v. Mercy Hosp. of Janesville, Wisconsin, Inc., 557 N.W.2d 846 (Wis. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 3× “According to Wright, § 768.01, Stats., which we cited in Prill as illustrative of the public policy against allowing a claim for wrongful divorce, abolishes a cause of action for alienation of affections but not the right to receive damages on an otherwise valid cause of action.”
Shea v. Cameron, 93 N.E.3d 870 (Mass. App. Ct. 2018). “Rights Law § 80 -a (McKinney 2009) ; Wis. Stat. Ann. § 768.01 (West 2009). For a detailed discussion on the history of Heart Balm Acts and the prohibition of amatory torts in the United States, see The Legal Ways of Seduction, 48 Stan.”
SER Justin S. Golden, Sr. v. Hon. Tod J. Kaufman, Judge, 760 S.E.2d 883 (W. Va. 2014). · cites it 4× “01-220 (1984); Wis.Stat.Ann. § 768.01 (1981); Wyo.Stat. § 1-23-101 (1977).”
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