Just a quick vocabulary lesson today, kids! I have been asked, “What does it mean when the court said I have unclean hands?”
The court’s not referring to your personal hygiene— it’s referring to the “Unclean Hands Doctrine.” Chancery courts, the courts in Mississippi that handle divorces and children’s matters (among other things), are courts of equity. This basically means that they handle cases that seek remedies other than monetary damages.
Courts of equity apply the maxims of equity as well as applicable laws in deciding cases. One such maxim is “One who comes to equity must do so with clean hands.” If you have caused the situation of which you are complaining, you have unclean hands, and should not be awarded relief in a court of equity. For this reason, a person who abandoned their spouse could not seek a divorce based on desertion.
So now you know what it means if you’re told you have unclean hands. (Although you may still want to look at your nails).
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