The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently established a new precedent regarding engagement rings in the case Johnson v. Settino. In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that a $70,000 engagement ring must be returned to the donor if the wedding is called off, regardless of fault. This decision marks a departure from the state’s previous standard, which considered who was “at fault” for ending the relationship when determining who keeps the engagement ring. This aligns Massachusetts with the majority of other states, including New York and Michigan, which also follow a “no fault” rule regarding engagement rings. The court’s decision was guided by the principle that an engagement period is meant to assess the permanence of a marriage intent, thus deeming the blame approach incompatible with modern relationship assessments.
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