Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Florida
engagement rings
what is the law on who the ring belongs to after a breakup
Asked on 6/02/09, 5:42 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Brent Rose
The Orsini & Rose Law Firm
Re: engagement rings
No one knows for sure, since Florida appellate courts haven't ruled on the issue. The old-fashioned rule was that whoever broke up lost the ring. Some judges still follow that rule, but not many.
The more modern rule, followed by most judges (because it's the law in divorce court), is that the ring is a gift from the man to the woman, so she gets to keep it.
If the ring is a family hierloom of the man's family, I think most judges would make the woman give it back, but that's just my opinion.
Answered on 6/03/09, 12:45 pm