Orr v. Orr

440 U.S. 268 (1979)

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Orr v. Orr

United States Supreme Court
440 U.S. 268 (1979)

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Facts

William Orr (defendant) and Lillian Orr (plaintiff) were divorced in Alabama in 1974. Under Alabama alimony statutes, husbands, not wives, were required to pay alimony upon divorce. As a result, William Orr was required to pay monthly alimony to Lillian Orr in the amount of $1,240. Lillian sued William for nonpayment in the Lee County Circuit Court in 1976. William challenged the Alabama alimony statutes alleging the statutes violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The circuit court upheld the statutes, and the Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama affirmed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Brennan, J.)

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