Not all weddings have happy endings and if the Big Day turns into a big nightmare that leads to the couple breaking up, the big question is – who keeps the engagement ring?
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Brides, here’s you’re one-stop guide to whether or not your get to keep the ring.
Engagement rings began as a symbol of the promise from a man to a woman of his intent to marry; in other words, it was started as an insurance policy to the Bride’s family that the man would care for the woman. It also was a kind of ‘lay-by’ and in return, the woman promised to be chaste and comitted to her fiancé – meaning she’d no longer attend the local B&S Balls and she’d shut down her Tinder account.
So, if there’s a break-up, who gets the ring?
He ends the relationship
If the Groom-To-Be ends the relationship, traditionally, the Bride gets to keep the ring, because technically, she has fulfilled her end of the agreement.
She ends the relationship
If the Bride-To-Be ends the relationship, tradition has it that she return the ring to her former fiancé.
The separation is mutual
In this case, it’s recommended to divide the profits from the ring equally.
The couple get divorced
If the marriage goes ahead, but the Bride and Groom decide to divorce further down the track, the Bride generally gets to keep the ring, because the marriage contract was fulfilled.
What does the law say?
If you can’t come to an agreement, the Australian Courts classify the engagement ring as ‘shared property’, meaning that generally the profits of the ring are shared between the two parties.
