The legal reason you should never propose on Valentine's Day

With about 40 per cent of all US marriages ending in divorce, you may want to take some precautionary steps before putting a ring on it - including choosing the day you propose wisely.

When it comes to divorce, typically spouses are required to split their marital assets 50/50 unless there is a prenup or some other kind of disclosure.

But since an engagement ring is a pre-marital asset, it makes it a bit trickier when divvying it up.

In some states, an engagement ring is considered a “conditional gift” meaning if the marriage does not take place the ring must be returned to the person who gave it.

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If the marriage did take place, some states consider it the pre-marital property of the person who purchased it therefore it must be returned to them. Other states believe it is a gift and therefore can stay with the receiver.

But if a person can argue the gift was a true gift, like it was given on a birthday, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day, and not just conditional to the marriage, then they may keep the ring.

So, if you’re one of the millions of people receiving an engagement ring this Valentine’s Day - know that you could argue in favor of keeping the ring as it’s considered a real gift, not just a conditional one.

And if you’re one of the millions of people proposing - let’s hope you’re absolutely sure this is “the one.”

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