Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help Manage Libel After A Breakup

Breaking up is always a tough situation and can get worse if one partner responds poorly when another tries to move to a new area. Suddenly, the partner who is moving may find people telling them about insults and outright libelous statements by their ex and feel like their life is going to be impacted. As a result, it is necessary to understand how a lawyer can help with this personal injury case.

Libel Is a Type of Personal Injury

Libel occurs when a person writes down information that is designed to hurt someone's reputation in some way. For example, an ex who writes to their old partner's job and claims that they were abused by their partner or that their old partner does drugs—when neither fact is true—is committing libel by attempting to injure a person's reputation and potentially get them fired from a job or position.

While libel is usually easier to pursue than slander because of the written evidence, showcasing actual harm is hard without help from a professional. Those who try to pursue a libel case against an ex without any type of legal protection may find that their case will be nearly impossible to win. They may even experience some financial difficulties as a result.

Lawyers Improve These Cases

Libel is a very tough case type to prove because the defendant may claim that what they say is either "true" or that it was just their opinion. For example, they can claim that what they wrote about their ex is their personal feeling and not intended to entice libel against them. The tricky elements of this case revolve around proving that these statements were intended to and did do harm to a person.

A lawyer can help to ensure that these cases go more smoothly. For example, they can find evidence of what their client's ex said, such as through emails or letters to friends. Then, they need to prove that what was said is not true and that it hurt a person. This step can be tough. The lawyer needs to show that the plaintiff experienced at least emotional damage as a result of the libel.

Additionally, if the lawyer can prove that their client lost a job or suffered financially as a result—such as not getting a promotion because of this libel—they can gain further traction for their client. However, it is often very challenging to handle this type of case, so those who have been libeled may want to work with a counselor at the same time to stay healthy and emotionally stable during their case. Contact a personal injury lawyer for more information. 

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