Should I pursue a slander/defamatory case?

[petitecheri]

I will make this short but there's so many details to the story.
My husband and I were living in a guest home on elderly couples' property. Everything was fine for 7 months. We had a great relationship with them. Then their health started getting poor and they moved into a nursing home temporarily. The daughter came into the picture then and made false reports to government agencies about my husband and I exploiting her parents in which we came out clear after the investigation, she called my employer to accuse me and my husband of stealing from her parents and not paying rent, which we can prove otherwise as we have signed letters and text messages from her KNOWING my husband was hired by the family to help her dad as a caregiver and property manager. This vile woman, made us move out in 3 days' time, fired my husband, and then called my employer to spout lies that got me fired the next day without an investigation to her claims or my boss asking me for my side of story.
As I live in AZ, we are an "at will" state and I understand employers can fire you for anything.
I have my boss on recording stating the reason he fired me were due to her accusations.
I had that job for a little over a year and was making plans to start my own business in that same field of work since I worked hard to make connections and had a good reputation in that line of work.
After these accusations, I couldn't work in that field anymore due to employees of my workplace finding out about the allegations since my boss told them all that I was "stealing" from clients and to "cut ties with me". Rumors travel fast, so I got another job that focused on a different population about 2 months after I was fired.
I really took it hard because nothing like this has ever happened to me and now my community thinks I am an untrustworthy person who steals from people.
I want to know if I can sue this woman for slander & defamatory statements. I only lost finances for 2 months until I found another job but my trauma, emotional distress, anxiety, etc never went away since it happened months ago.
Do I have a case to pursue?

 

[zddoodah]

my husband was hired by the family to help her dad as a caregiver and property manager.

Hired by "the family"? Are you saying that the "elderly couple" who were your landlords also employed your husband?

This vile woman, made us move out in 3 days' time

How did she "make" you do this? An eviction cannot legally be accomplished in this manner.

After these accusations, I couldn't work in that field anymore. . . . I got another job that focused on a different population about 2 months after I was fired.

How long ago did all this happen? What "field" are you talking about?

my community thinks I am an untrustworthy person who steals from people.

What "community"? You mean people who live in this area? How many people actually think this?

I want to know if I can sue this woman for slander & defamatory statements. I only lost finances for 2 months until I found another job but my trauma, emotional distress, anxiety, etc never went away since it happened months ago.
Do I have a case to pursue?

Of course you can sue, and it sounds like you might even win (and you might have a viable case for an illegal eviction). HOWEVER...

If your only damages are two months of lost income (along with whatever non-economic damages you might be able to prove), you probably will have difficulty finding a lawyer to take the case on contingency, which means you'll have to pay an attorney on an hourly basis (or do it yourself without an attorney). I'd expect at least $20k in attorneys' fees, and the fees won't be recoverable (although it's possible you might be able to recover punitive damages, which could be used to offset the costs of litigation).

 

[petitecheri]

Hired by "the family"? Are you saying that the "elderly couple" who were your landlords also employed your husband?
*Yes, after 6 months, they employed my husband as a FT caregiver and personal assistant. We have proof. The daughter wrote a 3 day eviction letter stating my husband was an independent contractor, when he was not, just to cover their racks and not have to pay taxes for him being W2 employee which we will fight.*


How did she "make" you do this? An eviction cannot legally be accomplished in this manner.
*she left us a letter on our doorstep saying we had 3 days to leave due to "exploitation"*


How long ago did all this happen? What "field" are you talking about?
*this happened back in July 2022. And I don't want to get too specific about this situation, but the field I worked in was caregiving.*


What "community"? You mean people who live in this area? How many people actually think this?
*In my small town. I met a former coworker who mentioned my boss told them all that I was stealing money, so I know it will travel around since many coworkers were told.*


Of course you can sue, and it sounds like you might even win (and you might have a viable case for an illegal eviction). HOWEVER...

If your only damages are two months of lost income (along with whatever non-economic damages you might be able to prove), you probably will have difficulty finding a lawyer to take the case on contingency, which means you'll have to pay an attorney on an hourly basis (or do it yourself without an attorney). I'd expect at least $20k in attorneys' fees, and the fees won't be recoverable (although it's possible you might be able to recover punitive damages, which could be used to offset the costs of litigation).

*Yes, I did call lawyers for a bit and only one agreed to move forward with defamation by letter of intent and if they do not meet the needs of the letter, he will then charge me hourly if case goes to court, and he did mention the family can countersue causing in 2 cases where I would have to pay double the lawyer fee, and that's what scares me. Read my replies under your individual questions, sorry, my first time posting on here.*

 

[adjusterjack]

my trauma, emotional distress, anxiety, etc never went away since it happened months ago.

Give me a break. Everybody says that because they think it wins them the lawsuit lottery.

My trauma, emotional distress, exxiety, etc of my divorce took a long time to go away. I survived and recovered. So will you.

Like Zddoodah, I think your recoverable monetary damages are too little for a contingency lawyer and too little to be worth paying $20,000 in legal fees for a lawsuit that could take years and get you peanuts. Even if you got a big judgment you'd still have to collect from this person who can easily file for bankruptcy and you get nothing.

Reality check. You're best bet is to sue in AZ small claims for the maximum amount of $3500. You can do that without a lawyer and a win has a better chance of collecting.