Lipton v. Lipton

OPINION OF THE COURT

Walter Schackman, J.

Plaintiff Susan Lipton and defendant Charles Lipton were engaged to be married in December 1983. As a symbol of the parties’ intentions and implied promises to marry, the defendant gave an engagement ring to the plaintiff at that time, and the parties were married in August 1984. In this action for divorce, the court must determine whether the engagement ring is marital or separate property and thus whether it should be included in the property to be distributed pursuant to the Equitable Distribution Law.*

An engagement ring is a gift to which a…