Sims v. Sims’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 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 5 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Our first consideration is for the welfare of this minor child. The desires, claims, and affections of the parents must yield to the course that is best for the welfare, happiness, and future of the child. We have repeatedly recognized the rule that children of divorced parents are, in a sense, wards of the court and their welfare must be guarded. Smith v. Ritter, 292 Mich. 26 ; Chadwick v. Chadwick, 275 Mich. 226 ; Herman v. Wayne Circuit Judge, 236 Mich. 604 . The original decree was obtained by plaintiff in an uncontested suit. We, therefore, assume such decree, when entered, was, so far as the possession and visitation of the child is concerned, proper and satisfactory to both the court and plaintiff. “The only question before us is whether there has been any change of circumstances or new facts arising since the original decree was entered which warrant the modification granted.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Ely v. Ely