Do you have a right to open your spouse's mail?

[Anonymous]

DH here. We always have opened each other's mail, just as a matter of convenience. WTF would we be hiding from each other?

[Anonymous]

It is unlawful for others to open mail addressed to you without permission. You could complain to the Postal Inspector.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm, maybe you shouldn't be married if this makes you livid?

Frankly, I find it bizarre that you would be so angry with your spouse for opening mail. You are sharing your lives, no? Life insurance is a big, IMO, shared discussion with one's spouse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Financial and business mail, definitely yes. Private mail like a card or letter from a friend, no.

Yup. I open everything regarding insurance etc. because he doesn't. If I don't he asks why not.

Why are you livid? Did you take out a secret policy or something? I can see being slightly annoyed maybe, but livid seems to go a little too far unless you're hiding something.

[Anonymous]

If that makes you livid, then you have much bigger fish to fry...

[Anonymous]

Livid over a priority insurance notice? Wow!

DH opens most of the mail, but if it's personal and addressed to me, he leaves it. Packages are left for the addressee as well, unless we say when that arrives you can open it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is unlawful for others to open mail addressed to you without permission. You could complain to the Postal Inspector.

Most people go to a counselor when their marriage is in this much trouble, but hey.

[Anonymous]

If I were your wife, OP, I'd be seriously scared.

[Anonymous]

I never would have dreamed of opening my husband's mail. Mail to him often piled up, and he would leave it on the table forever. One day, I got tired of seeing it. Since I was the only one to tidy and the one to pay bills, I opened the few pieces that had been on the mail table for weeks.

Guess what? That note from the doctor's office was his doctor writing to inform him that he was retiring and enclosing his medical record, which was only a few pages. The medical record indicated that DH had seen the doctor for a possible STD infection after sleeping with prostitutes when DD was around 4 months old.

DH is now xDH.

In retrospect, subconsciously, he probably wanted me to open it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they have a right to, but as a courtesy I often won't. Either way being livid about it is way out of line.

Agree with this. The fact that you are "livid" would make be very worried.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:18 U.S. Code § 1702 - Obstruction of correspondence

Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package out of any post office or any authorized depository for mail matter, or from any letter or mail carrier, or which has been in any post office or authorized depository, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it has been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with design to obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of another, or opens, secretes, embezzles, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §?330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

I am willing to bet (unless there are extenuating circumstances) that there is not a DA in the country who would bring charges against a spouse for opening another spouses mail.

[Anonymous]

Why on earth would you care?

I am the designated mail-sorter in the house, and generally open all mail, except when I can't be bothered and throw all the mail addressed to DH on his desk.

I don't know of anyone who would be livid that their spouse opened their mail. You have serious issues, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We open each other's mail. Usually it is me as I pay all the bills. He lets it pile up and hates going through it. So I wouldn't think twice if he opened something or vice versa. I really think it depends on your habits but I don't think it's out of line.

+1! It's more efficient. Opening mail is a bore and a chore. We also have no secrets from each other. It keeps life simpler.

[Anonymous]

This is hilarious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18 U.S. Code § 1702 - Obstruction of correspondence

Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package out of any post office or any authorized depository for mail matter, or from any letter or mail carrier, or which has been in any post office or authorized depository, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it has been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with design to obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of another, or opens, secretes, embezzles, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §?330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

I am willing to bet (unless there are extenuating circumstances) that there is not a DA in the country who would bring charges against a spouse for opening another spouses mail.

Is it considered delivered once it hits your mailbox? I always thought the obstruction was if you are a postal worker stealing mail or if you steal undelivered mail from a mail truck.