logging into spouse's email account?

[blackferrari007]

i have reason to believe my spouse is cheating on me, but i can not prove it. is it legal to log into her account and read her emails?

[MagicMarker]

It would be an invasion of personal privacy. She could get you in trouble for that. Unless she voluntarily invites you to check her e-mail in good faith, then I'm afraid you're out of luck.

Although hiring a private investigator would be costly, it would be helpful if you are serious about this. There may be other resources though.

Good luck & I'm sorry to hear about your situation.

[goldengirl]

it doesn't sound legal to me, but i think you should do it anyway. i would.

[scienceman]

I would think that if she has given you her password or saved it on the computer where it is not necessary to type it in then any expectation of privacy is null.

[MagicMarker]

I would think that if she has given you her password or saved it on the computer where it is not necessary to type it in then any expectation of privacy is null.

Yeah true, but unless she leaves her passwords lying around for everyone's reference ... you can't do that. The police even need a warrant to go into people's e-mail accounts.

[Patrick]

Most if not all US states have adopted the Married Person's Act, among others. Everything owned by married persons belongs to both married persons with some exceptions. If you see a letter, mailed to your wife, sitting upsidedown on the kitchen table and you turn it over and read it, that is not a civil or criminal wrong in the USA. Married persons have no right to expect the govenrment to come into the marriage and enforce "privacy" rights, IMHO.

[AmandaT]

I don' t think it is actually illegal to do this.

Just as a spouse has a legal right to handle finances for both parties in the marriage, I bet you can look at your spouse's email with impunity.

The actual emails might not be admissible in court, but they might be bargaining chips in settling up before divorce proceedings start.

[loyalknight10]

I think you can do it without anyone knowing it. If your wife is cheating on you, obviously it is not legal to. You have to find substantial evidence about her elesewhere before invading any of her privacy.

[rharrington]

hey if she's stupid enough not to change her password and is lying to you, maybe she wants you to know!