Tycoon ordered to pay his ex-wife £180,000 for 25 years of unpaid housework in divorce settlement
A COURT has ordered a successful businessman to pay his ex-wife £182,000 compensation for 25 years of unpaid housework.
Ivana Moral was awarded the divorce settlement based on the minimum monthly professional wage for the time she was married her ex-husband.
Spanish judge Laura Ruiz Alaminos also awarded Ivana a pension of £444 per month, as well as £356 and £533 to her two daughters, who are now aged 14 and 20.
The couple married in 1995 and her unnamed husband built a successful gym business.
His wealth allowed him to buy a Porsche Cayenne, a Range Rover 4×4, BMW motorbikes, and a 70-hectare olive oil farm, which was valued at £3.6 million.
But when Ms Moral asked for a divorce in 2020 he asked Ivana to sign an agreement which would have allowed him to keep his fortune and split common possessions.
“Clearly this was a case of abuse, to be completely excluded financially with nothing left after my marriage ended,” she told the i paper.
“So me and my daughters were left with nothing after all these years of putting all my time, energy and love in the family.
“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.”
When she asked for a divorce she was initially awarded half of their house but nothing more so decided to pursue her husband in the courts.
Ivana said her husband did not want her to work outside the home and would only let her work at the gyms he owned.
“I have dedicated myself exclusively to housework, looking after my husband and the house,” she said.
Speaking to Cadena Ser radio, she said: “I was in a place where I couldn’t really do much else.”
Ivana said she hopes the ruling will inspire other women to pursue what they’re entitled to.
“I encourage all the women who are in the same situation as me to go after what is theirs,” she said in an interview with the CanalSur TV station.
Her lawyer Marta Fuentes said the ruling represents a victory for women working in the “shadows” who provide “fundamental support” for their husbands.
“She was his shadow, working behind [him] so he could rise professionally and become someone,” she said.
Her husband is expected to appeal the decision.