Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

More Crime & Courts Stories»

Man Must Pay Ex for Lack of Sex

He owes former wife about $14K for 21 years of sexless marriage

By Neal Colgrass, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 5, 2011 1:57 PM CDT | Updated Sep 10, 2011 7:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – A French judge may have just sent Viagra sales soaring: He ruled that a 51-year-old man in southern France must pay his wife about $14,000 for "lack of sex over 21 years of marriage." The judge referred to Article 215 of France's civil code, which says married couples must have a "shared communal life." Named only Jean-Louis B. in court documents, the man claimed "tiredness and health problems" prevented him from satisfying her—or even trying, the Telegraph reports.

The 47-year-old wife had divorced her hubby for his lack of bedroom bravado, then came back to court demanding compensation. The judge agreed: “A sexual relationship between husband and wife is the expression of affection they have for each other, and in this case it was absent," he ruled. “By getting married, couples agree to sharing their life and this clearly implies they will have sex with each other.”

A judge in southern France has ruled that a Frenchman must pay his ex-wife 10,000 Euros for 21 years of sexless marriage. (Flickr)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

54%

15%

12%

10%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

How Economics Can Save Your Sex Life

Lower costs, increase transparency, become a "rabbit"

(NEWSER) - Forget the usual advice on reawakening your love life: more foreplay, sex journals, role-playing. Instead, try economics. Today’s couples can’t afford “excess time and energy,” write Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson in the Daily Beast . Drop the cost, and you’ll increase demand, “as any economist will tell you.” Tell your partner when you’re up for it, and then “make it quick.” More»

For a Better Relationship, Postpone Sex

Researchers find good things come to those who wait

(NEWSER) - If you’re after a healthy relationship, it may be best to wait before hitting the sack. Couples who wait longer are more satisfied and stable later, research published in the Journal of Family Psychology suggests. “If couples become sexual too early, this very rewarding area of the relationship overwhelms good decision-making and keeps couples in a relationship that might not be the best for them in the long run,” the study's head tells LiveScience . More»

To Be Happy, Neurotic Couples Need More Sex

Study finds that it negates the 'happiness deficit'

(USER SUBMITTED) - Neurotic couples struggle with negative emotions and mood swings, but new findings say they're just as happy with their marriages as non-neurotic couples when sex is frequent. The sex negated the "happiness deficit," say researchers. For non-neurotic couples, sex was less critical for happiness, reports LiveScience . More»

Couples Who Share Chores Have More Sex

Housework amps up your spouse, but why?

(NEWSER) - More housework equals more sex, a new study shows, though watchers are split on why that is. Two answers quickly spring up: For one, active folks tend to pour their energy into all pursuits. “This group of go-getters seem to make sex a priority,” a researchers tells the Wall Street Journal. And then there’s the mushier reason: housework “makes the couple remember why they are married,” a writer says, “to be on the same team.” More»

Not Feeling Sexy? 'Just Do It.'

New book reveals reasons behind lack of sex in marriage

(NEWSER) - Why does passion so often fizzle in a marriage? Prepare to be shocked: Bettina Arndt’s The Sex Diaries reveals the reasons aren’t what you think, the Daily Mail reports. Included in the nearly 100 couples who kept diaries for a year are many men who love their wives and wonder where the sex went—without turning to cheating or porn—and women who simply don’t have high libidos. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Man Must Pay Ex for Lack of Sex

He owes former wife about $14K for 21 years of sexless marriage

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

marriage • sex • court ruling

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

How Economics Can Save Your Sex Life

Lower costs, increase transparency, become a "rabbit"

For a Better Relationship, Postpone Sex

Researchers find good things come to those who wait

To Be Happy, Neurotic Couples Need More Sex

Study finds that it negates the 'happiness deficit'

Couples Who Share Chores Have More Sex

Housework amps up your spouse, but why?

Not Feeling Sexy? 'Just Do It.'

New book reveals reasons behind lack of sex in marriage

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?