Van Ness v. Buel was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1819 that dealt with the issue of whether or not an individual could be held liable for debts incurred prior to their marriage. The plaintiff, Van Ness, had married Buel and then later discovered that he had been previously indebted to another party before his marriage. Van Ness argued that she should not be held responsible for her husband's pre-marriage debt because it was contracted before they were married and thus did not become hers upon marrying him. The court ultimately ruled in favor of Van Ness, holding that no one can contract away rights which are given them by law without their consent; therefore, since a wife does not assume responsibility for her husband’s pre-existing debts under common law principles at the time of marriage, she cannot be made liable for such debts after being married either. This decision established important precedent regarding marital contracts and liabilities between spouses as well as protecting individuals from assuming financial obligations due to circumstances beyond their control when entering into marriages

In Van Ness v. Buel, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a deed of trust executed by a debtor in favor of his creditor could be enforced against the debtor's assignee. The majority opinion held that it could not, as such an arrangement would violate public policy and undermine creditors' rights. However, Justice Story dissented from this ruling on the grounds that there was nothing inherently wrong with allowing debtors to transfer their debts to third parties if they so chose. He argued that Congress had never prohibited such transfers and thus should not be allowed to do so through judicial interpretation; rather, he believed it should remain up to individuals how they choose dispose of their property or obligations. Furthermore, Justice Story noted that enforcing these types of deeds would actually benefit creditors by providing them with greater security for repayment than other forms of credit arrangements available at the time.