Snyder v. Spaulding’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

17 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 17 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “In the latter context, the central issue is the division of parenting responsibilities between the parents, whereas in the former context, the issue is contact between a child and a nonparent over the parent’s objection. This is a critical distinction. Both parties to a “parenting plan” are “parents”; and, in this sense, both are possessed of the same fundamental rights with respect to the parenting of their child. But the same is not true in grandparent-contact cases, where one party is a nonparent asking a court to overturn the decision of a parent notwithstanding the parent’s fundamental right to make decisions concerning her child’s associates. This second scenario requires delicate balancing of the rights of the parent vis-a-vis the interests of the nonparent, as well as the interests of the child.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Higgins v. Cumber

2. “based upon clear and convincing evidence, that the contact with the grandparent would be in the best interest of the child and that the presumption in favor of the parent's wishes has been rebutted.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the concurrence
   e.g. Schwarz v. Schwarz (In Re L.R.S.)

3. “determined on the basis of whether the parent adequately cares for the parent's child.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the concurrence
   e.g. Schwarz v. Schwarz (In Re L.R.S.)