If you break up with a fiance should they give back the engagment ring or should they keep it?

Answer 1

I've always thought the woman should give it back. If you don't marry him, you don't get to keep the ring.

Answer 2

The giving of AND the acceptance of the engagement ring, for the sole purpose of proposal of marriage, is in fact a contract to marry.

With this in mind, no matter who breaks it off, no matter how much hatred and loathing, the ring goes back to the proposer. This is because BOTH parties entered into the contract. If the contract is terminated, the ring goes back, no matter who had a change of heart.

It is also vital to remember that, although romantisized, marriage itself is a contract, each party has certain obligations and expectations.

That said, be very careful when you propose and when you get married. You wouldn't buy a car or a house on credit if you hadn't fully investigated the ramifications of doing so. You would also strongly consider your desire to keep the item until the loan (contract) was complete. Marriage should be no different, just because emotions are involved.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Personally, I would give it back if I were the one being dumped b/c it would've lost it's meaning. The whole reason someone gets an engagement ring is w/ the intention of getting married...if the wedding got called off...I'd want to give it back. Some women might want to keep it and pawn it or keep it for silly sentimental reasons. As far as a legal aspect...don't know the answer. In my opinion even though it was a gift...it was a gift w/strings attached...cut the strings...take back the ring!

Answer 4

Morally and legally...the engagement ring goes back to the person who bought it (hopefully the man) The ring is given in anticipation of a marriage. If there is no marriage, the ring goes back. If a woman doesn't give it back, I encourage all men to take their $20 and file at small claims court. An easy win for you. Some women just collect the damn things! Don't put up with it. ;)

Answer 5

Give the ring back, but keep everything else, and vice versa. Keep the teddy bears, cell phones, jewelry aside from the ring, books, DVDs, smaller-scale items that probably have less of a personal significance. But upon the breakup, the fiance should NOT keep the ring.

Answer 6

I follow the law on it. In California, it is stated that if the male, who proposed to the female breaks it off, she is liable to keep it.

If the female breaks up with the male who proposed, it is custom to give back the ring.

It is up to discussion if it does go to court (which doesn't happen as often as no one wants to go into that much drama to get a ring back)

But for those who do go that far to get the police and court into it, most likely the ring was very expensive (not fully paid for yet) and possibly be a generation ring (great grandmother's ring for example).

The only reason why I kept my ex's is because he gave it to me as a gift, not as an engagment as I made it clear I wasn't ready for marriage prior to me finding it...in my safe of all places. So, I sold it as he kept saying I should keep it after our break up (he cheated). Then he all of a sudden wanted it 6 months later when he was "serious" with some girl......but even as trashy as that seems to give another girl the ring, I was going to give it back but I sold it already.

I think it can be all fair to say the ring should go to the person who is not at fault.

But as I said, it is up to the law's discussion of who gets what.

Answer 7

The laws in most states is simple. An engagement ring is given in contemplation of marriage. Should the marriage not take place, the ring must be given back.

Answer 8

GIVE IT BACK. Why on earth would you want to keep the engagement ring for? selfish & will probably keep holding on to the past. You should only keep the engagement ring if the groom passes away.

Answer 9

According to Lisa Ver Bryckev v. J Russell Ver Brycke, III, et. al an engagment ring is a conditional gift, meaning if the reason it was given was to fulfill an obligation of marraige and if you were never married then the gift must be returned to the purchaser.

Listed below is the case law file in pdf format...

hope this helps

Answer 10

It doesn't matter who breaks the engagement, the ring needs to be returned. It wasn't a gift in the regular sense, but rather a symbol of the commitment to get married.