Housewife awarded lifetime pension and €80,000 payout after 32 years of unpaid domestic work

A divorced woman has been awarded a lifetime pension and an €80,000 lump sum after spending 32 years out of work to look after the family home.

The Provincial Court of Pontevedra in Galicia, north-west Spain, ruled that the 57-year-old had completely sacrificed her own professional career to care for her husband.

The court ordered her 82-year-old ex-husband to pay her a lifetime compensatory pension of €600 a month, alongside the lump-sum payout.

During their 32-year marriage, the husband focused entirely on his business interests, becoming the sole source of income for the family.

Following their divorce, the woman argued that she had been unable to enter the workforce due to her domestic responsibilities. A lower court initially ruled in her favour, but her ex-husband appealed against the decision. He sought to cancel the lifetime pension, claiming his only income was a Swiss pension and that the couple had employed domestic staff.

However, the High Court rejected his appeal. Judges ruled that a temporary pension was inappropriate, noting that after more than three decades without employment or specialised training, it was highly unlikely the woman could overcome her precarious financial situation.

"At 57 years old, the only likely employment options available to her would be poorly paid roles in the hospitality sector," the ruling stated.

The judges also noted that there was "a situation where the appellant's will prevailed over that of his wife in decision-making, which manifested in the requirement that she renounce any employment outside the home."

The court further ruled on the lump-sum compensation, which is legally required to offset domestic work in marriages with a separation of assets.

The ex-husband had attempted to block the payout—originally set at €192,000 - by arguing that the couple had no children and used a cleaning lady. The court dismissed this argument, stating he failed to prove that domestic staff had been continuously employed.

However, judges reduced the final payout to €80,000. They cited three factors for the reduction: the couple had no children, the husband had solely covered all marital expenses during the marriage, and the reduction would prevent "double compensation" alongside the monthly pension.