210 Ill. App. 3d 521 - Violetta B. v. Stanciel’s Empirical Analysis
1991
Citation profile
76 state decisions
How this case has been cited
Cited by 76 later decisions — most recently February 2026 · most notably 212 Ill. App. 3d 849 - In Interest of Ashley K. (1991), 214 Ill. 2d 31 - In Re Austin W. (2005)
76 state decisions
Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.
Relationships
Relies on 66 Ill. 2d 515 - People v. Stilley · In re Custody of Townsend · 19 Ill. 2d 342 - Western National Bank v. Village of Kildeer · 72 Ill. 2d 189 - Illinois Power Co. v. Mahin · 42 Ill. 2d 201 - People Ex Rel. Edwards v. Livingston
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 76 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“[I]t is well established that the paramount consideration in all guardianship and child custody cases is the best interest of the child.”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“"is to secure for each minor subject hereto such care and guidance, preferably in his or her own home, as will serve the moral, emotional, mental, and physical welfare of the minor and the best interests of the community.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1991, ch. 37, par. 801 — 2(1).)”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the dissente.g. L.F.H. v. People“it is not necessary that the natural parent be found unfit or be found to have legally forfeited his rights to custody, if it is in the best interest of the child that he be placed in the custody of someone other than the natural parent.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.