Fake Divorces on the rise in Spain
April 15th, 2008 - Chris MarshallSpanish family court judges believe parents are divorcing to increase their children’s chances of getting into their preferred state school. (BBC)
Oh dear, is Spain starting to become more like the UK that we thought? If this article had been written about the UK somehow I know it just wouldn’t have registered with me at all, but the fact that it is about a current trend in Spain to claim places for children in government funded schools made me a little sad for some reason:
Spain is certainly not the only country where the government-funded school system is regularly under the spotlight over concerns about the quality of the education and the need to improve standards. Finding a good state school can be very difficult for parents.
But Spanish parents are going to extreme lengths to get their children into the school of their choice.
Family Court Judges in the city of Seville have noticed that the divorce rate has increased significantly and suspect that parents are faking divorce to help get their children into local schools.
A change in the law, effective from the beginning of last year, means a child receives extra points if they live in a single parent home.
In most cases, the children in this category have either divorced or officially separated parents.
It seems that a 2005 change that streamlined Spain’s divorce laws is contributing to the fake divorce phenomenon. Under the new regulations you can get a “fast track” divorce, so couples can officially be separate within three weeks.
Court officials say they have seen couples who have recently divorced, back in court after the school entry date, seeking a reconciliation. Faking divorce is not an offence in Spain.
Is it just me that thinks this is both sad and mad at the same time?
Fake divorce to get school places
About Almerimar
Almerimar is located in the region of Andalucia, Spain. The nearest airport is 30km away in Almeria. Other airports that are within 3 hours include Malaga, Murcia, Granada, and Alicanti. Other holiday resorts in the region include Mojacar , Aguadulce and Roquetas de Mar
Almerimar is a great place to live as an expat amongst the expats, or to work amongst the Spanish. There are all kinds of properties including villas, apartments and town houses for rent or sale. It is a very traditional part of Spain, with traditional Spanish foods so if you plan to travel to Spain either to look for jobs, for your company to trade with companies in Spain, or to learn Spanish and enjoy the Spanish weather then come and take a look.
If you are interested in purchasing a property in Almerimar please visit our sponsors Mirror of the Sun or Mediterraspain. If you have purchased a property and need it furnished please check out our Sponsors DBJ who will give you a Exclusive 5% discount with the code AL2008.
If you want to learn Spanish, get help with anything to do with the legal issues in Spain, or want WiFi access in the marina please check out our sponsor CentrePoint who will give you a 10% discount off all services with the code AL2008.
If you want an amazing activity based day out in the mountains and to learn how to ride a motorcycle off road then check out our sponsor The Long Way Round and get 5% off with the code AL2008.
Almerimar is also one of the largest marinas in Spain with over 2,000 births and excellent boatyard facilities.
