My spouse and I separated in 2006 and I have since been trying to come to an agreement for the divorce to keep from either of us having to spend too much money (the ex continues to ask for more everytime I give in to his demands). I am trying to do things as simple and out of the piblic eye for the respect of my son.

I basically left my husband after 17.5 years of marriage. We had a huge amount of history that I forgave repeatedly, but learned over the years that this history had basically killed my love for him. I continued to stay in the marriage for my son's sake and because my husband was having some health problems and did not want to add to this. Finally, I had had all I could take. I did not want him to kiss me or even hug me. We had not slept in the same bed for more than 5 years and had not had relations but maybe twice during that 5 years. He had found several emails to my bestfriend explaining how unhappy I was during this time and how I felt I couldn't leave for the reasons previously mentioned. I had even talked to his mother about my unhappiness. A few months after I left, I started dating someone that I had previously worked with and had become friends with while I was married. There was never any flirting, dating, or anything during the time we were friends and I was still married. We just talked occassionally. I changed employment because of re-organization issues and more money, not for any other reasons. We started dating a couple months after the separation and job change.

My question is, I know my ex-husband can file any lawsuit he wants to waste his money on, but does he have any chance of being able to sue this person for alienation of affection? My ex-husband and I have been separated now for 16 months and I have been trying to get legal separation papers signed since January.

My ex-husband does not know that I have been dating this person during our separation. Once my ex-husband and his mother (who knows I was friends with this person before the separation) find out I am dating this person (and will eventually marry him), they will ASSUME I was having an affair before we separated, therefore, attempting to file for alienation of affection. Especially since I was always accussed of having affairs throughout the marriage when in fact it was the other way around.

Any insight to this would be greatly appreaciated.