Barrett v. Barrett’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

40 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 40 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “The provisions in the decree of divorce . . . are binding, as between the father and mother, until by a direct proceeding modified, but they do not extend to the minor children. The court under the statutes retains jurisdiction to amend, change, or alter any provision of the decree respecting the care, custody, or maintenance of the children of the parties, as the circumstances of the parents and the welfare of the children may require .... If this action were by the mother, it could well be said that her remedy would be to apply for a modification of the decree .... But neither the statute nor the decree thereunder is the full measure of the duty of the parent to his minor children. If it were, the children’s right to support could not be enforced for lack of a remedy, provided the parent failed to act.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Alamance County Hospital, Inc. v. Neighbors