Legal Question in Family Law in Georgia

Re: Engagement ring

Courts generally treat the engagement ring as a gift, from the donor (the person who gave the ring) to the donee (the person who received it). To be considered a legal gift, three things must be present: the donor's intent to give the ring as a gift, the donor's delivery of it to the donee, and the donee's acceptance of the item. If the person to whom the ring was given can show all three elements, a court will consider the ring to be a gift to him or her.

But, the majority of courts also consider such a gift to be a conditional one. That means that, until some future event occurs, the gift isn't final; if that event does not occur (the wddding), then the donor has the right to get the gift back.

While there are cases going both ways depending on detailed facts, in a majority of cases courts have required the return of the ring. Discuss those details with your lawyer.