What is the difference between slander and libel?
I am 18 years old, and someone has defamed me in Friendster. Don't get me wrong. It's not shallow or anything. He started calling me a b*tch and all those stuff. He posted in Friendster that I am a w***e which is absolutely not true. If you want to see his statement, please e-mail me. (Note: it is mostly written in Filipino.)
I've been asking what the difference between slander and libel because I have been seriously thinking of suing this person.
Answers:
Very simple.
Slander is spoken. Libel is written. For example, saying false things about someone out loud is slander, but if it was written about a person in a newspaper, it would be libel. Hope that helps.
written vs. verbal
IT. WILL. COST... MORE than you can Recoup.!
I often use this as my guideline!
(Proverbs 26:2) As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
In other Words. SOMETHING NOT TRUE. is as a Bird. flying over your head! Nothing you can do about IT!
Thanks, RR
Slander is mostly when a person "verbally" makes statements or untrue things said about a person in order to damage his or her reputation. Libel is untrue statement that is said about a person again to damage his or her reputation mostly in a form of
"writing" or "written" document or form.
slander is spoken word, libel is written. the guy you want to sue would be sued for libel.
Slander is verbal.
Libel is written and published.
If you sue somebody, realize that lawyers cost at least $300 or $400 an hour for the cheapest bozos and it takes a lot of hours to sue somebody. Then you have to win. And then the person you sued has to have the money to pay what you win. And then you have to get them to pay you. All this takes maybe two years.
And whatever you win goes through the lawyers hands first.
First he takes half of what you won. Then he takes the hourly fee above (50 hours of lawyer work by now? Maybe $15,000 or $30,000 altogether) from the half you have left.
You get what's left. That is of course, if you win. If you lose, you owe the lawyer $15 or $30 grand or so. And if you don't pay him, he's a lawyer, he'll just take your house and garnish every paycheck you ever have including interest until he's paid. Lawyers don't have to sue. They can just put a lien over your life.
Exactly how much do you think a judge would award you because somebody called you a "*****" in a public forum website, where you probably signed your right to sue anyone away when you clicked that little "I agree" button when you signed up to the site? Why should you get money in the first place? Did it cause you to lose your job? Have you husband divorce you? Can you prove to the court that you are indeed NOT a *****? They're going to ask you that. For something to be libelous, in must be absolutely, provably, not true.
Can you PROVE that you are NOT a *****?
Can you PROVE how much money it caused you to lose? (i.e. "nobody bought my new album, my book didn't sell as many copies as expected"). If it bothered you emotionally, can you PROVE how much it cost you in medical bills to cure the problem caused by this libel?
That's what suing is all about friend.
Is the person you're suing rich enough to sue?
Why don't you just try the old "Sticks and Stones" thing and call him names too. Much cheaper.
slander if you say it: libel if you wright
slander is spoken, libel is writen or broadcasted (radio, TV).
However, calling you a b!tch is not defamation. In order for it to be defamation it must be both factual, false and belivable.
You may be the nicest person in the world and nobody else think you are a b!tch, does not mak e it false, it is still an opinion.
Claiming that is factual because you are human and not cainine won't work, b/c nobody would acutally beleive that.
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