Can You Sue Someone for Breaking Off an Engagement?
Can You Sue Someone for Breaking Off an Engagement
When you are engaged, you have a verbal contract that commits you to getting married. If your fiancee breaks this commitment and doesn’t return your engagement ring, you may be able to sue her for breaking the agreement.
In most states, an engagement ring is a conditional gift, meaning that it only becomes yours when you marry your fiancee. If your fiancee breaks off the engagement and doesn’t return the ring, you can sue her for the cost of it or for damages because she failed to fulfill her condition for it.
If you don’t want to take the risk of a lawsuit, it might be wise to wait a while before you try to sue your ex-fiance. You might not be able to file a suit within one year of the breakdown of your relationship, so it is advisable to wait until the situation has calmed down.
You Need Proof of a Promise to Marry
It is important that you show that your fiancee committed to getting married. This can be shown through a verbal agreement, or by actual proof of a proposal of marriage. This is a difficult step, but you can usually show it by offering corroborative evidence, such as letters or pictures.
You Need to Be a Good Dealing Party
You need to prove that you were a good dealing party. This means that you had to be reasonable in your behavior during the entire period of the engagement. If you were unreasonably harsh on your fiancee, the court might find you to be a bad dealing party and that you should be required to pay compensation for the damages you caused.
There are several ways you can get a legal award for your damages, and it is best to consult an attorney before deciding what to do. The amount of your award depends on the nature of your damages.
A common way to claim damages for an engagement breakup is by claiming that your fiancee breached a promise to marry. This is known as a “breach of contract.”
When it comes to suing for a breach of contract, you have four years to file your lawsuit from the date of the breakdown. You can also file your case within one year of the breach, if you haven’t already filed a complaint for breach of contract.
Then, you have to show that your fiancee breached their promise to marry. This is a very complex and detailed process, and it is not as simple as saying that they broke their promise to marry or that they didn’t follow through on the marriage plans you made with them.
Whether or not you have a valid claim for a breach of promise to marry is a very personal matter, and your lawyer will help you determine if this is the right course of action for you. You should consult with a family law attorney as soon as possible to make sure you have a strong chance of winning your case.
