Daily Archives: September 28, 2013

September 28, 2013 Divorce
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What Happens to an Engagement Ring in a Divorce?

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Upsetting all Las Vegas odds, Kim Kardashian eventually gave back the 20+ carat stunner engagement ring Kris Humphries gave her before their 72 days of wedded bliss.  Perhaps your ring isn’t as ostentatious.  Still, it may possess some serious emotional and financial value.  So what happens to an engagement ring in a divorce or dissolution action?

The Colorado courts’ consensus is that an engagement rings is a “conditional gift,” or gift given by one person to another person in contemplation of marriage.  Once the marriage actually happens, the condition is met and the ring becomes the receiver’s separate property.  If the parties end up divorcing, then legally the receiver gets to keep the ring.

If the receiver terminates the engagement before marriage, then the condition of the gift has not be met, and the ring is to be returned.  In Colorado generally, fault does not come into play.  It does not matter if one person or both caused the marriage not to take place; the law says the ring gets returned to the giver.

However, there are cases in Colorado where courts have considered the issue of fault to the extent that a man had given a woman an engagement ring but it was found that the man had been abusing the woman and that was the reason the marriage was called off and the engagement ended.  In those cases, courts have determined that the woman can keep the engagement ring.

Every case is different.  There may be other instances of fault which a court may consider, or your case might be more concrete.  Consider consulting an attorney to discuss your specific situation.

 

 

— Marika Frady, Esq. is an attorney handling Divorce, Family Law, DUI and Bankruptcy cases in greater El Paso County, Colorado including Colorado Springs, Fountain, and Manitou Springs, as well as Teller, Pueblo and Douglas Counties.  Connect with her on Google Plus today!