Recently, a court ruling on the return of betrothal gifts (commonly known as ‘bride price’) between an unmarried couple has drawn public attention. The case involved a cohabiting couple who never officially registered their marriage. The woman became pregnant but later suffered a miscarriage, after which the relationship ended. The man then sued to reclaim the full amount of the bride price he had paid.The court ruled that although the couple lacked legal marital status, they had lived together as partners, and the woman had endured significant physical and emotional hardship due to the pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage. Taking into account the duration of cohabitation, how the bride price was used, and the woman’s circumstances, the court ordered her to return only 40% of the original amount.This decision reflects a nuanced judicial approach to bride price disputes in cases of unregistered but de facto cohabitation. According to Article 5 of the Supreme People’s Court’s Interpretation (I) on the Application of the Civil Code’s Marriage and Family Section, when couples cohabit without formal registration, courts should consider factors such as the length of cohabitation, use of the bride price, and fault when determining whether and how much should be returned. By balancing fairness with protection of women’s rights, the ruling avoids a rigid, all-or-nothing approach and demonstrates the law’s humanistic and equitable spirit.
近日，一起关于未领证情侣分手后彩礼返还的案件引发社会关注。据报道，一对未婚情侣在未办理结婚登记的情况下同居，女方怀孕后不幸流产，随后双方分手。男方遂起诉要求返还全部彩礼。法院经审理认为，虽然双方未登记结婚，但已实际共同生活，且女方因怀孕、流产承受了身体与精神上的双重伤害。综合考虑双方共同生活时间、彩礼用途及女方实际情况，法院最终判决女方返还40%的彩礼。该判决体现了司法实践中对‘未登记但有事实同居’情形下彩礼返还问题的审慎处理。根据《最高人民法院关于适用〈中华人民共和国民法典〉婚姻家庭编的解释（一）》第五条，未办理结婚登记但确已共同生活的，彩礼是否返还应结合共同生活时间、彩礼使用情况、过错程度等因素综合判断。本案中，法院兼顾公平原则与对女性权益的保护，避免‘一刀切’式返还，彰显了法律的人文关怀与实质正义。
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