In the case of Waldron v. Waldron, 1894, the U.S Supreme Court was tasked with resolving a dispute over property rights and inheritance laws. The plaintiff, Mrs. Mary A. Waldron claimed that she had been unjustly denied her rightful share in her deceased husband's estate due to an alleged will made by him before his death which left all his assets to their son instead of equally distributing it between them as per Florida law at that time for those who die without leaving a will (intestate). However, the defendant argued that Mr. John S.Waldron had indeed left a valid will and testament stating otherwise. The court ruled in favor of Mrs.Waldron after finding no substantial evidence proving the existence or validity of such a will from Mr.John S.Waldron's side during his lifetime or even after his death when such documents are usually discovered or presented by family members or lawyers handling personal affairs on behalf of decedents.This decision upheld Florida state law regarding intestate succession where surviving spouses were entitled to half their partner’s estate if there were children involved.

In the dissenting opinion for Waldron v. Waldron, it was argued that the majority's decision to deny Mrs. Waldron her claim on her deceased husband's estate in Florida contradicted established legal principles regarding marriage and property rights. The dissenting justices contended that under common law, a wife has an inherent right to her husband’s property upon his death unless explicitly stated otherwise in a will or prenuptial agreement. They further pointed out that Mr. Waldron had not made any such arrangements before his death and therefore, Mrs.Waldron should have been entitled to at least part of his estate as per standard inheritance laws irrespective of their living separately due to marital discordance at the time of Mr.Waldon's demise . The dissent also criticized the majority for failing to consider relevant state laws which could potentially support Mrs.Waldon’s claim while making its ruling based solely on federal statutes.