A Spanish husband has been ordered to pay his ex-wife $214,000 for unpaid housework over the course of a 25-year marriage, as well as paying her pension.
Divorce can be a messy business, especially when one partner has put their life on hold and relies financially on their significant other.
If the unfortunate circumstances arise where a couple chooses to part ways, sorting out finances can often be a point of contention as one Spanish couple can attest to.
Ivana Moral, from southern Spain, married her husband in 1995 but the pair decided to separate in 2020, and their divorce settlement has recently been made public.
During their 25-year marriage, Moral spent her time doing the housework and looking after their two children who are now 20 and 14, per the Daily Mail.
iNews reported that Moral's husband was ordered to pay her €204,624.86, which is equal to around $214,000.
Judge Laura Ruiz Alaminos ruled that the final amount was based on the minimum wage through the couple's marriage.
The ruling didn't end there, as Moral's ex-husband also has to pay her a pension for her unpaid work, which equals out to around $531 a month, as well as giving his daughters $639 and $426.
Speaking to iNews, Moral said: "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 in the family."
Moral continued: "I was supporting my husband in his work and in the family as a mother and a father. I was never allowed access to his financial affairs; everything was in his name."
Before their marriage, the pair signed a separation of property regime which governed that whatever they earned financially during their marriage would be theirs alone, but they would share possessions.
Moral claims that her husband did not want her to find employment outside of the home and would only allow her to work at gyms that he owned in the area.
She alluded that she felt trapped in her relationship and having to raise the two children as well as seeing to all the household chores meant she "didn't have much time for anything else."
Moral hopes that this case will give other women the courage to stand up for themselves in a divorce settlement and will allow them to know what they are entitled to.
Moral's ex-husband only wanted to split their possessions and property so this financial hit will come as a surprise to him.
Therefore, he is expected to appeal the decision.
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