Comfort v. Sprague
Comfort v. Sprague
Opinion of the Court
Action against defendants, they being husband ■and wife, for services rendered at their request in attending, as an at
A married woman may with certain restrictions make contracts as fully as though she were a feme sole. She may bring suits in respect to her separate property, and employ attorneys to bring and attend to them. She may do this by agent, as a feme sole may. She may constitute her husband her agent for that purpose, and, when she does so, she will be bound by his acts. When the husband employs an attorney to bring a suit in the name of himself and wife with respect to her separate property, the situation of the parties and the circumstances may be such as to justify a jury in concluding that he does so at his sole cost, and so as to be solely liable to the attorney for his fees, even though his act was known to and acquiesced in by the wife. But there is no presumption of law to that effect. The jury may consider the relation of the parties in determining as a fact whether the husband acted in employing the attorney as agent for his wife, or for both, or in his own sole behalf. But that is the only way in which the relation can be considered. Otherwise, the case is the same as though one, not her husband, but having some interest with her in the property, should employ an attorney in the name of the married woman and himself to bring an action to protect the property.
Evidence tending to show that the act of her husband in employing an attorney for himself and her was known to, and was acquiesced
Order reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Oscar H. Comfort v. Angeline M. Sprague and Husband
- Status
- Published