Ford v. Ford’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

4 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 4 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “Where the meaning of any part of a will is ambiguous or doubtful, it may be explained by any reference thereto, or recital thereof, in another part of the will. All the parts of a will are to be construed in relation to each other, and so as, if possible, to form one consistent whole; but where several parts are absolutely irreconcilable, the latter must prevail.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 226 Cal. App. 2d 289 - Estate of Barnhart

2. “When the testator directs 'the ballance of the pool divide' the question arises, among whom is to be divided? ... [C]onsidering those words to be a complete sentence, the only reasonable construction is that the residue should be divided among those previously named in the will as beneficiaries.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 226 Cal. App. 2d 289 - Estate of Barnhart

3. “The Ballance [sic] of the pool divide the children of the two families receiving the same amount as the parents Parents should see that they spend there [sic] money wisely and mostly toward there [sic] education.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 226 Cal. App. 2d 289 - Estate of Barnhart