ABA Family Legal Guide

Personal Injury

Intentional Wrongs

I have a tax-return preparation business, and a neighbor recently told a potential client that I did not know a thing about tax law. Isn't that slander?

You might have a case if the statement is untrue. If someone says something falsely that affects you in your business, trade, or profession, you can recover in a slander action even without showing actual harm to your reputation or other damages. You can do the same in three other situations--if someone says that you committed a crime, that you have a loathsome disease, or that a specific female is unchaste (impure).

Of course, you can recover in other slander cases, but in those you must show that you actually were damaged.