Willis v. Willis’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

104 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 104 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “* * * must assume that the evidence in favor of the successful party is true, leave out of consideration entirely the evidence of the unsuccessful party in conflict therewith, and give to the evidence of the successful party every favorable inference which may be reasonably and fairly drawn from it.”

   13 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Benham Construction Co. v. Rentz · Rossin v. Ward

2. “"`There remains for disposition, then, the question as to whether or not the plaintiff is entitled to recover under an implied contract. It appears to be a well settled rule "that a woman who knowingly and voluntarily lives in illicit relations with a man cannot recover on an implied contract for services rendered him during such relationship. Not only does the relationship as, of husband and wife negative that of master and servant, but, such cohabitation, being in violation of principles of morality and chasity [sic], and so against public policy, the law will not imply a promise to pay for services rendered under such circumstances."' "Respondent contends that since this court determined in the Roberts' case cited above that plaintiff and Roberts were not married, their relationship was illicit and therefore the rule in the Willis case would prevent recovery upon an implied contract. Other cases cited by respondent are cases where the woman knew the relation to be illicit, the respondent contending that it is only in a case where the man has been guilty of fraud that the woman may recover. It must be recognized that most of the cases found on the subject are either cases where the woman knowingly entered into an illicit affair with the man or was induced by fraud on his part to enter into the relationship. Those cases do not fit the facts in the case at bar because here both parties believed their common law marriage to be valid."”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Roberts v. Roberts · Kinnison v. Kinnison

3. ““ ‘A wife is not entitled to compensation for services rendered her husband. And where a woman lives with a man as his mistress or concubine, she cannot recover for such services as are incidental to the relationship in which they live, unless a contract for payment is shown.’ ” 40 Cyc. 2823.”

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