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You’re divorced, and most of the items from the marriage have been dealt with. What about your rings after divorce?

There are a lot of things that you’ll need to deal with during the divorce. There’s the house, the cars, the children, the finances, and so much more. It all becomes a little too much, and that’s really why you want to have a divorce lawyer to help you deal with it all. You may also need divorce lawyers or Visitation Law Services if you are negotiating custody arrangements for your kids. The legal experts at SBK Law Group should be able to assess your situation and protect your interests throughout the divorce proceedings.

Now all of that is done with. You have your divorce, and you’re ready to move on.

That’s when you remember something else. The rings. What do you do with your engagement ring and wedding ring? You may even have the third ring, the eternity ring, to go with the set. Do you keep them? Sell them? Give them back?

What I did with my rings

I’m not officially divorced yet, but I’m as good as. I kept my rings after divorce, but not because I want a memory of my marriage. They’re my rings. I chose them.

Yep, even my custom made zircon rings. I went out and picked out my own ring from some great custom oval engagement rings I found online. Engagement was not really a surprise, and there wasn’t some flashy proposal. Maybe I should have seen that as a big red flag, but I didn’t need that big proposal, so I don’t really care.

But my wedding ring and engagement rings are ones that I picked, and I still like them. They still work with the rest of my jewelry. If I do somewhere where I know there may be people interested and I’m not looking to date, I could wear them and pretend I’m still married. It’s just an easier excuse for guys—we shouldn’t need a reason, but you know what guys can get like!

I do wear a lot of rings, though, so I’ve usually got something else that works as a ring to ward people off, though. I wear a ring holder necklace uk instead of wearing the rings on my finger.

So, you could keep them. That’s up to you.

Sell your rings after divorce

What if you really don’t want to keep them? I get that. I have considered selling my rings, and that’s something you could do.

Depending on the ring, you may not get a lot for it. It’s something, though, right? You can use that money on whatever you want. Some people will put it in a rainy day fund, while others will immediately treat themselves to dinner. Or maybe it goes towards those attorney bills, because we all know they’re expensive.

Don’t sell them right away. I’d say sit on the idea for a while to figure out what you really want to do.

Keep them for your children

Just because you don’t want a reminder of the marriage, doesn’t mean your children don’t. Your relationship with their father is important to them. Hell, maybe you even parted on good terms and you’re still friends. I know a lot of people who are friends with their exes, because unlike mine, their exes aren’t narcissistic a-holes.

So, consider keeping your rings. You can give them to your children when they get older. Even if your children don’t use them for their own engagement or wedding, they are there as what become family heirlooms.

Give them back to the ex

Your ex may even ask for the rings after divorce. Now, it’s up to you if you honor the request.

I will say to check with your divorce attorney. Apparently, in some states, you may need to give the rings back depending on the circumstances of the divorce if the ex asks. In others, they’re yours to keep.

These rings are contractual gifts. If the engagement doesn’t turn into a wedding, I do know that you should give the engagement ring back. After all, the contract wasn’t met, so the gift is returned. With the wedding ring, it’s slightly different.

Once you marry, the contract has been met. It doesn’t matter if that marriage doesn’t stick forever. After all, not all contracts last forever. So, most judges will view it as the contract was met and the gift doesn’t need to be returned.

Again, speak to your attorney. I know where I am, once there is a marriage, the rings are the owner’s to keep. You don’t need to give them back to the ex if you don’t want. And if your ex is an a-hole like mine, you won’t want to give them back if they ask.

MORE: 4 tips to get back into dating

What did you do with your rings after divorce? What do you think you’ll do with them? Share your thoughts in the comments below.