Trimble v. Gordon

Trimble v. Gordon represents a reversal of earlier Court positions with regard to the rights of inheritance of the illegitimate. The Court changed directions on this issue again, however, ruling in Lalli v. Lalli, that illegitimate children had no rights to inheritance from their fathers unless they were acknowledged by their fathers. The Court has also allowed other distinctions in the inheritance rights of legitimate and illegitimate children, ruling in Mathews v. Lucas (1976) that illegitimate children must prove dependency upon a deceased parent in order to inherit from that parent. In the final analysis, the Court appears to view Equal Protection Clause cases involving illegitimate children on a case-by-case basis, thus creating the impression of a willingness to change course on such issues with each successive decision.