Joint Legal Custody and Shared

Residence Post-Divorce:
New Parenting Plans in Spain
www.coparentingb4.com

3rd ENSACT Joint European Conference

16-19 April 2013, Istanbul
Paloma Fernández-Rasines
paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es

Social Work Department

Public University of Navarre, UPNa
Pamplona, Spain
Start point
Focus on current debate in Spain about Join
Custody:
shared residence arrangements after divorce
New Parenting Plans
◦ How are national configurations of economy,
culture and policy reflected in practices with
regard to gender, employment and care?
◦ And to what extent do individual’s attitudes
and behabiours react to institutional variables
such as formal care provisioning and family
leave facilities?
◦ How may social work and social
education be a part of the change?

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 2
Culture, care, parenting
Spanish people support shared residence
arrangements after divorce in an 80%
1. It’s parental corresponsibility taken for
granted?
2. How is culture related to an equal provision
of care within the family when children
come?
3. What means the new deal for shared
residence after divorce?

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 3
1. Parental corresponsibility is
taken for granted
June 2012: Spanish Ministry of Justice
commissions an amendment on Civil Code
addressed to promote joint custody after
divorce. (Bill expected prior to 2013)
Minister explained that "it is the
responsibility of the executive to stay aware
of changes that occur in society, which
include those experienced in the structure
of Spanish families in which parents
share responsibility equally" (Ministry of
Justice, 6/13/2012)

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 4
2. Culture related to care
provision when children come
How is gender performing individual
practices related to employment and care
in Spain? Gender gaps:
Employment Care
Activity rate Time use
Employment rate Parental leaves
Part-time job
Salary

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 5
3. A new deal: Shared residence
after divorce (I)
Joint Custody definition and
genealogy
Some learnings from previous
experiences on shared residence
agreements Towards a new
matrifocality?
◦ Australia, US, UK (Nielsen 2011,Trinder 2010)
◦ France (Cadolle 2005)
◦ Norway (Kitterod/Lingstad 2011)
◦ Spain (Escobedo 2012, Arch/Jarne 2008,
Guilarte 2007, Alascio/Martin 2007)
paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 6
3. A new deal: Shared residence
after divorce (II)
Father Rights and Children’s Wills
(Smart 2004)
◦ Fathers4Justice: equal rights after
divorce regarding children’s care
◦ Children’s voices:
What are they demanding?
Parental flexibility is needed
Feeling like home as a must

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 7
Discussion
How far Joint Custody Law in Spain
will shape practices and attitudes
promoting gender equality?
Have work-life balance policies
helped for new fathering practices
to arise?
Are SW and SE being part of this
change?
paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 8
Conclusion Coparenting Before
Joint Custody new regulation will help
cultural change in terms of gender
equality as long as new attitudes and
practices are proven in activity
configuration and work-life balance
policies
Fatherhood demands on equal rights are
missing prior to divorce
New attitudes on fathers on care are
needed before children arrive
paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 9
 References:
ALASCIO, L.; MARIN, I. (2007) “Juntos pero no revueltos. La custodia compartida en el
nuevo art. 92 CC.” InDret 3/2007:1-23
ARCH, M.; JARNE, A. (2008) “Opinión y valoración de los diferentes sistemas de guarda y
custodia por psicólogos forenses y juristas españoles. Un estudio piloto” Revista de
derecho de familia: Doctrina, Jurisprudencia, Legislación 41:25-33
CADOLLE, S. (2005) “La transformation des enjeux du divorce. La coparentalité à l'épreuve
des faits » Informations sociales 2 (122): 136-147.
ESCOBEDO, A. et al. (2011) “The Social Politics of Fatherhood in Spain and France: a
Comparative Analysis of Parental Leave and Shared Residence” Ethnologie Française XLII
(1): 117-126
GUILARTE, C. (2008) “La custodia compartida alternativa” InDret 2/2008: 1-33
KITTERÖD, R. ; LYNGSTAD, J. (2011) “Untraditional caring arrangements among parents
living apart. The case of Norway” Discussion Papers No. 660, August 2011, Statistics
Norway, Research Department
NIELSEN, L. (2008) “Shared Parenting After Divorce: A Review of Shared Residential
Parenting Research” Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52 (8): 586-609
SMART, C. (2004) “Equal shares: rights for fathers or recognition for children?” Critical Social
Policy 24 (4): 484-503
TRINDER, L. (2010) “Shared residence: a review of recent research evidence” Child and Family
Law Quarterly 22 (4): 475-498
paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 10
Aknowledgement:
This paper arises from the development
of an internationalization action funded by
the Department of Education,
Government of Navarre (Programa
Jerónimo de Ayanz 2011)
Parentalidades en Contextos
Cambiantes> Coparenting Before
<www.coparentingb4.com>

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 11