Court orders man to pay ex-wife $215K for 25 years of unpaid housework for incredible reason
Debates about dividing housework responsibilities have always caused trouble between spouses. While doing household chores and looking after children might look like a thankless job that doesn't even amount to monetary benefit, an interesting court case in 2023 turned the table on this idea. According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, a 48-year-old woman named Ivana Moral received a fortune of Є204,000 (about $215,000) from her ex-husband for the most inspiring reason.
Moral's ex-husband was ordered by the court to pay her compensation for all the years of unpaid housework she did during their marriage. Moral turned to the court after she asked for a divorce from her ex-husband in 2020. Moral told EuroNews that throughout their marriage, which lasted for 25 years, she was the one who "exclusively" managed the housework. During the time she was married to her ex-husband, Moral could not pursue her own career. She argued that it was because of "her exclusive dedication to the home and family," per the outlet.
Moral also mentioned how her ex-husband "accumulated and exponentially increased his assets" over the years. In the meantime, he also built his flourishing gym business and was able to afford various luxurious purchases. Not only that, he also refused to pay for the education of one of his daughters as soon as she turned 16. "Clearly, this was a case of abuse to be completely excluded financially (by my ex-husband) with nothing left after my marriage ended. So, me and my daughters were left with nothing after all these years of putting all my time, energy and love into the family," Moral told the outlet.
Moral also claimed that she was supporting her husband in his work as well as taking care of the household like a "mother and a father." Despite her contributions, Moral was not given any access to his financial affairs and everything was written in his name. "This ruling represents the labor of all the women in the shadows and who, without a doubt, constitute a fundamental support in personal, marital, and familiar terms during years and years so that the ex-husband could develop his professional career and a rise in wealth which at the moment of separation could not share," Moral's attorney, Marta Fuentes, told iNews.
"So he could get on in his career, she stayed at home to look after the children, and they never contacted anyone to help her," Fuentes continued. "She was his shadow, working behind him so he could rise professionally and become someone." As per court orders, Moral would have received €500 (about $528) from her ex-husband. Additionally, the man would have to pay about $414 and $621 for their two daughters, aged 20 and 14.
The news outlets reported that the total amount of Moral's pension was decided by a judge in Málaga, based on the minimum monthly professional wage for the 25 years while the pair were married. iNews further added that Moral's ex-husband did not offer her money but he was okay with splitting their home and possessions and he was expected to appeal to the court. “The reason I decided to speak to the media is I wanted women to know that we can claim for housework when there is a separation of goods agreement,” Moral concluded to the outlet.