The relevant fact is that if Gibbs married Shell on a Monday night and filed for divorce Tuesday morning, Shell would have no rights and no cause of action. A “breach of a promise to marry” lawsuit, even if it ever makes sense, makes absolutely no sense in a state with no-fault divorce. And I even say that as someone who moved cross-country twice for eventually unsuccessful relationships.

people annoy me. idiots.

Unfortunately, you have been sucked into the sound bites of this story, as many others have.

I am not voicing an opinion on the legality or “common sense” of this case, merely, the lack of accurate reporting.

The facts are as follows
According to Shell, the couple had intended to get married when her youngest son went off to college in 2005. When that didn’t happen, she broke up with Gibbs and moved to Pensacola, where she landed a human resources job that paid $81,000 with benefits. Trying to carry on with her life, she started to date someone new.

But in October 2006, Gibbs asked her to move back to Gainesville — and he proposed with a 2-carat diamond ring. Shell said yes. A wedding date of Dec. 2 was set.

About a month after Shell moved back in with Gibbs, however, Gibbs expressed second thoughts in a note he left in their bathroom: He wanted to postpone the wedding.

Gibbs and Shell stayed together a few more months before officially parting in March 2007. Shell chose to take legal action and sued three months later.

“Primarily because he made a promise to me and I relied on that promise and gave up a lot of things because of that promise,” Shell explained.

“He paid her a bundle, along with the engagement ring that was really worth a lot of money,” Smith said.