Spain: Compensation for housework

After her divorce, a woman received a compensation payment of over 204,000 euros from her ex-husband because she had been the sole caretaker of the household and children for 25 years during their marriage. She also worked as a cleaner in her ex-husband's gym without pay. In a court in Malaga, she was awarded the minimum wage in Spain for each year of marriage (1995 to 2020), plus a pension of 500 euros and 1000 euros per month for their children. The case is a precedent that is causing a stir and could shake up divorce law in Spain.

The woman said that she lived in poverty during the marriage and always had to beg her husband for money. She felt economically threatened, worthless and hopelessly dependent. Her husband was a millionaire and had amassed a fortune of around five million euros during the marriage.

The ruling by the court in Malaga could set an example for all women who are overshadowed by career men. In Germany, there is no explicit compensation for household duties, but in marriage and divorce law, childcare or housework and gainful employment are considered to be of equal value. Both spouses thus contribute to family life. If one spouse continues to work part-time during the marriage or gives up their job to concentrate fully on the family and household, this must be reflected in the division of assets.