164 W. Va. 426 - Haynes v. Haynes’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

28 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 28 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “All judges and courts of this State, called upon to fix, ascertain and determine an amount as alimony, support or maintenance to be paid by a spouse or to modify any order pertaining thereto, shall take into consideration, among other things, the financial needs of the parties, the earnings and earning ability of the husband and wife, the estate, real and personal, and the extent thereof as well as the income derived therefrom of both the husband and wife and shall allow, or deny, alimony or maintenance or modify any former order with relation thereto, in accordance with the principles of justice. W.Va.Code, 48-2-16. (Emphasis added.)”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. F.C. v. I.V.C. · 172 W. Va. 211 - Zirkle v. Zirkle

2. ““If the wife is young but has no occupational skills, the court might provide alimony for a predetermined, limited time to support her while she undergoes vocational training. In the same vein, if the wife is no longer young but able to work at a job which can only help contribute to her support in her customary manner, then alimony can serve to supplement her income. Furthermore, a trial judge should look to the separate estates of the parties along with the ages of the parties, which are important because age reflects upon their ability to work; similarly, the duration of the marriage is important because duration is an index to the opportunity which the wife has foregone by being a housewife.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 173 W. Va. 200 - Molnar v. Molnar

3. “alimony is a way of avoiding unjust enrichment of either of the parties.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 171 W. Va. 458 - Fc v. Ivc