Williams v. Small’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

15 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 15 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “"* * * The actual needs for the maintenance and support of the wife must first be ascertained. If the amount needed is proportionate to the husband's means of making payment, that amount should be awarded. If those needs exceed the husband's ability to pay, alimony pendente lite should be fixed in a sum which will as nearly as possible be just and fair to all parties involved. Reichert v. Lloveras, 188 La. 447 , 177 So. 569 ; Turner v. Turner, La.App., 174 So.2d 227 , handed down this day. Alimony pendente lite being a judicial enforcement of the husband's obligation to support his wife during the existence of the marriage, where justified by the facts (and each case is dependent upon its own facts), the wife is entitled to such alimony in an amount sufficient to maintain her in a style comparable to that which she enjoyed prior to her separation from her husband by reason of his means and position. Schneider v. Schneider, 211 La. 959 , 31 So.2d 176 ; Abrams v. Rosenthal, 153 La. 459 , 96 So. 32 ; Reichert v. Lloveras, supra. Where the wife, who is a litigant in a suit for separation from bed and board, has no income of her own, she is not required to obtain employment in order to support herself; the law imposes the obligation of support upon the husband. But if she does choose to earn her own living, or a part thereof, she thereby takes herself out of the provisions of Article 148 to the extent of her earnings. Bilello v. Bilello, 240 La. 158 , 121 So.2d 728 ; Abrams v. Ros”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Cabral v. Cabral · 175 So. 2d 438 - Fontenot v. Fontenot

2. “If the wife has not a sufficient income for her maintenance pending the suit for separation from bed and board or for divorce, the judge shall allow her, whether she appears as plaintiff or defendant, a sum for her support, proportioned to her needs and to the means of her husband.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Cabral v. Cabral · 334 So. 2d 745 - Shepard v. Shepard