In New Jersey (USA) in the late 18th and early 19th century, a man's estate went to his legitimate children, but his widow had a dower right to 30% of the property for her use and maintenance during her lifetime. After her death the property reverted to her late husband's children, she could not bequeathe it to anyone else (eg children by a previous or subsequent marriage). And some of the wills I've read from that era are very specific about what the widow's portion would be: certain rooms in the family house, grazing for so many cows, maintenace of a horse and buggy, and in one instance an elderly slave woman. Children born out of wedlock did not seem to have rights to their father's estate unless he made them a specific bequest (which seems to have occurred fairly frequently).