Spain: Court orders man to pay ex-wife $218,000 in alimony for ‘unpaid housework’

A Spanish court ordered a man to pay his ex-wife $218,000 in compensation for her 25 years of “unpaid housework” while they were married. According to the New York Post, the sizeable divorce settlement was determined based on the couple’s minimum annual salary over the course of their marriage.

Ivana Moral, the wife, received the compensation, which Judge Laura Ruiz Alaminos appreciated in recognition of their 25 years of marital service. In 2020, the couple divorced. The man now has to pay the woman $527 a month in child support, as well as $422 and $633 respectively for the couple’s two children, now aged 20 and 14, NYP reported.

The report quotes Morale as saying that she and her daughters were “left with nothing” when the couple split and shared their struggles. “This was clearly an abuse case that was completely shut out financially (by her ex-husband) and there was nothing left after my marriage ended,” Moral said, adding, despite all of her “time, energy and love.” Having invested in the family, she and her daughters were left with “nothing”.

Moral said she rarely got involved in financial matters, confining herself to taking care of the family’s chores.

“I supported my husband in his work … had no access to his financial affairs; everything was in his name,” she said.

She went on to say that at the time of her marriage, she was bound by a “commodity separation agreement,” allowing the husband to keep his assets and divide their joint assets.

At the court hearing in Velez-Malaga in southern Spain, it was revealed that the husband – who is not named in the lawsuit – reportedly owns a lucrative gym business and a string of high-end assets worth $6.4 million owns.

Moral expressed her hope that this case will serve as an encouragement to other women and as an example of how “we can claim housekeeping despite such (commodity-sharing) arrangements.”

(With contributions from agencies)