Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Massachusetts

Generally speaking, an engagement ring is given on the implied condition that a marriage will take place, and does not become a true gift until the marriage occurs. The only exception to this rule is a situation in which the ring can be considered another kind of gift that is not conditional (for example, a birthday gift or a holiday gift, as opposed to an engagement ring). As a result, if the marriage never happens, the giver of the ring has the right to demand that it be returned.