Legal Question in Family Law in Florida

What happens to the rings?

What happens to the rings?

Weddings rings and the engagement ring are like anything else in a divorce: you need to know how they get "split."

As a practical matter, unless the are extremely valuable, rings don't come up very often when we settle divorce cases. But, if the issue of who gets the rings does come up in your divorce, here's what most judges will probably do.

Remember that Florida is something like a community property state. All items acquired by either spouse belong to the "marriage." That is, the value of the items gets evenly split. Since the wedding rings are acquired during the marriage--right at the time the marriage begins--the value of the rings is split. Both wedding rings belong to both parties. Maybe they get sold and the money is split. Maybe each party keeps his or her own ring if the rings are of equal value. Maybe something else. But the point is, the wedding rings belong to the "marriage."

The engagement ring, however, is usually a gift from the man to the woman given before the marriage begins. It's not "marital property." It's "pre-marital" property which belongs to the wife. The woman keeps it, and its value is not split during the divorce.