Opinion ID: 1941980
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: rationale of the trial court's decision

Text: The trial court's decision granting summary judgment is based upon the Doctrine. This antiquated doctrine was first applied by Delaware courts in the seminal case of Plotkin v. Plotkin, Del.Super., 32 Del. 455, 125 A. 455 (1924). In Plotkin, the Superior Court adopted the Doctrine primarily on the belief that upon marriage, the identity of the wife merged with that of the husband. The Doctrine's continued existence in Delaware since 1924 has been justified as a means of promoting family harmony and discouraging collusion and fraud upon insurance companies. Saunders v. Hill, Del.Supr., 57 Del. 519, 202 A.2d 807, 808 (1964) (the absolute legal unity of husband and wife has been substantially eroded by the Married Women's Property Acts and instead the Doctrine is justified as a means to promote family harmony and discourage collusion and fraud). After most recently reviewing the Doctrine in 1979, this Court held that it retains sufficient merit to warrant continued adherence. Alfree v. Alfree, Del.Supr., 410 A.2d 161, 162 (1979).