if you break up an engagement, should you return the ring?

If the girl is the one who wants to break up, she should return the ring. The ring was given to the girl as a symbol of commitment to a forthcoming marriage. If that marriage is now not going to take place, the ring no longer has any significance. The ring was not given as a ‘present’ but as a symbol.

However, if the man is the one who wants to break up, that’s another story.

Legally – it depends on the reason for the break up. While normally, a gift is nto something you can legally take back – an engagment ring is different. From a legal perspective – an engagement ring is seen as a conditional gift – given on the condition that a marriage is to take place. If that condition is not met, then the ring legally has to be given back.

Some exceptions have been made in past rulings. If the groom calls of the engagement without just cause or the bride calls off the wedding because the groom is abusing or cheating – and can provide proof – the courts may choose to let her keep the ring as she is not the one who did not meet the conditions under which the ring was given.

If you are the offending party (you don’t mention) the one who actually broke up the engagement and the man requires the engagement ring to be returned – then rather than to start a row it is best to give the ring back when requested.

This happened to me but it was my fiancee who went off on a spoilt childish act and stopped answering his phone for a week about 4 weeks prior to the wedding. I went along to look for him and ran after him to resolve the problem.

This went on and repeated a week later about 12 days before the weeding day.

At that point I decided to call the whole thing off and contacted the guests etc., and cancelled catering group – hall – flowers – minister- musicians etc., and told the family as the invitations had already been posted.

I took the steps to call off the wedding but was I responsible!!

My fiancee asked for half of all the deposits he paid plus the engagement ring to be returned immediately,

I lost all that I had paid with the exception of the cake which was refunded out of the goodness of the ladies heart because she felt bad. I also had to return the 1/2 of the money my x fiancee paid.

Ah well thank the Lord for small mercies better to find out before the event than later and regret.

Hope this helps.

If you break off the engagement, then you most definately should. By accepting an engagement ring you are promising to marry someone, therefore if you break your promise of marriage, then you should return the ring. However, if he breaks off the engagement, you don’t have to give it back, but why on earth would you want to keep it. It would just be a reminder of what an idiot your ex was!

If the female breaks up the engagement then she has to return the ring. If the man breaks up the engagement then the female has a right to keep the ring.

The way i always saw it was the engagement ring formed like a kind of contract between you both so when it has been broken by whichever party the ring should be returned.

However, when my ex fiance ended our engagement he wouldn’t accept the ring back and said it was mine and i could do what i liked with it, think he felt bad for what he had done (and so he should!)

So i sold it. I kept it for years though. It wasn’t until i moved counties that i realised i was still carrying it around and in turn carrying around the pain with it. So i sold it. Thought it could make someone else happy one day. (Plus with an expensive move i needed the money!)

Since that day a weight was lifted and i could finally move on.

There’s no point keeping something with so many memories like that. If he won’t take it back then i say do as you will!

But at least try to return it!

You should always OFFER to return the ring. The contract has been broken….the ring was a sign of that. It also depends on how the engagement broke up. I’ve been engaged 3 times! The last fiance I actually married but No1 didn’t want it back – it was quite a cheapie anyway! No2 designed the ring himself and paid for it to be made. I offered it back but he said, no – it was designed especially for you so who else could have it! AWWWW.

No 3…having learnt from 1 & 2, we chose together with HEAVY influence from me…..it was more expensive than 1 & 2 together!! But times and prices had moved on! We’re now happily married and it’s still my favourite piece of jewellery out of many he has bought me…except I can wear it or many other pieces….just my wedding ring………the price of pregnancy and age eh?!!!

Always, always offer to return the ring. He may let you keep it for several reasons…if not, you could offer to buy it.

Yes, legally the ring belongs to the man, if you break off the engagement and therefore your promise of marriage it must be returned. Why would you want to keep it ?

If the engagement is broken, the ring must go back to the guy. It wasn’t a gift in the traditional sense, but a symbol of the betrothal. Once the promise is broken, the ring must be returned.

Yes, the ring is not simply a gift, it is a sign of your intention to marry, a bit like a contract. If an engagement ends the agreement to marry is broken and the rings should be returned.