Bischoff v. Wethered was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a contract between two parties was valid. The case involved a contract between a man named Bischoff and a woman named Wethered. Bischoff had agreed to pay Wethered a certain amount of money in exchange for her services as a housekeeper. Wethered had agreed to the contract, but later refused to perform the services. Bischoff then sued Wethered for breach of contract. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bischoff, finding that the contract was valid and enforceable. The Court held that the contract was binding on both parties, and that Wethered was obligated to perform the services she had agreed to. The Court also held that Wethered was liable for damages for her breach of contract. The ruling in Bischoff v. Wethered established that contracts between two parties are binding and enforceable, and that a party who breaches a contract is liable for damages. This ruling has been cited in numerous subsequent cases, and is still used today to determine the validity of contracts.

In Bischoff v. Wethered, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a contract between two parties could be enforced when it had been made without consideration and in violation of an existing statute. The majority opinion held that such contracts were voidable at the option of either party, but Justice Field dissented from this ruling. He argued that while such contracts may have been unenforceable under state law due to their lack of consideration or statutory violations, they should still be enforceable under federal common law as long as there was no fraud involved in making them. Furthermore, he argued that since Congress has not specifically prohibited these types of agreements by legislation, then courts should not do so through judicial interpretation. Ultimately his dissent failed to sway the court's decision and the majority opinion prevailed; however his arguments remain relevant today for those seeking to understand how contractual obligations are treated within our legal system.