In a groundbreaking decision, a regional court in Murcia has ruled that single parents in Spain can obtain the same paid parental leave as their coupled counterparts, a crucial step for many single-parent families across the nation. This ruling stems from a November decision made by Spain’s constitutional court, which declared that children born into single-parent families should not face discrimination.
The constitutional court emphasized that “the duration and intensity of the need for care and attention of a newborn is the same regardless of the family model into which they were born.” Citing this ruling, the regional court established that solo parents can request the full allotted paid leave, amounting to 32 weeks when factoring in six weeks of mandatory leave and an additional 10 weeks per parent.
Legal expert Carla Vall from Barcelona highlighted that this new interpretation allows parents in other regions of Spain to leverage the Murcia court's decision in their own applications for parental leave benefits. Vall stated, “Now this doctrine means that the rest of the courts are going to adopt this reading of rights,” a sentiment that could lead to widespread changes in parental leave access.
Social rights minister Pablo Bustinduy praised the decision as a significant victory for civil rights advocates, calling it “excellent news” following years of ongoing struggle and demands for equality in parental rights. The ruling is expected to pave the way for further legal changes, promoting better support for single parenting in Spain.
