Broken Engagements and The Ring

This is a question that comes up fairly often…the engagement is off, the marriage ceremony is not going to happen and I want my ring back! Question is: Are you entitled to get it back? The answer: it depends. Normally, Florida views engagement rings in a contractual sense. The ring is given in contemplation of marriage and if the marriage does not occur then the ring should be returned. However, there have been many articles regarding the moral vs. legal obligation in reference to engagement rings. The moral argument has been that if the man has broken off the engagement then he should leave the engagement ring alone and allow the female to keep it. If the woman has broken off the engagement, she should return the ring. In sum, it appears that the ring should be returned, both morally and legally, if the marriage does not take place and especially if it is the woman who calls the whole thing off.