Publication: Vicisitudes jurídicas de la pensión compensatoria tras el fallecimiento del deudor
Authors
García Campuzano, Rosa
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Escuela Internacional de Doctorado
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Cobacho Gómez, José Antonio ; Egusquiza Balmaseda, María Ángeles
Publisher
Universidad de Murcia
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
Description
Abstract
Durante los últimos diez años, el ordenamiento jurídico español ha registrado un notable volumen de procedimientos de disolución del vínculo matrimonial, con un total de 921.564 casos de divorcio, separación o nulidad. De dichos procesos, más de 76.000 han dado lugar a la concesión de pensiones compensatorias, lo que evidencia la vigencia de esta figura como mecanismo legal para atenuar los efectos económicos negativos que la ruptura matrimonial puede generar en una de las partes.
La pensión compensatoria, tal como se configura actualmente en el Código Civil, fue introducida mediante la Ley 30/1981, de 7 de julio. Esta norma incorporó expresamente en los artículos 97 a 101 del Código Civil el régimen jurídico de esta prestación, cuyo objeto es resarcir el desequilibrio económico que la separación o el divorcio pueda producir a uno de los cónyuges.
La institución fue diseñada como una respuesta jurídica al modelo familiar entonces predominante, en el cual la mujer desempeñaba funciones de carácter doméstico y familiar, mientras que el varón ejercía el rol de proveedor económico principal. Como resultado de ello, al producirse la ruptura, muchas mujeres quedaban en situación de vulnerabilidad económica. La prestación busca, en este contexto, restaurar el equilibrio patrimonial perdido y evitar el empobrecimiento injustificado de una de las partes como consecuencia directa de la vida en común.
Pese a los profundos cambios sociales, culturales y económicos experimentados por la sociedad española en las últimas décadas, la regulación legal de la pensión compensatoria ha permanecido prácticamente inalterada. Este estancamiento normativo ha generado una creciente desconexión entre la realidad social y el marco jurídico, lo que se traduce en inseguridad jurídica y en dificultades interpretativas de carácter doctrinal y jurisprudencial.
Las principales controversias giran en torno a la naturaleza jurídica de la pensión compensatoria, con implicaciones directas en cuanto a su atribución, duración, cuantía, modificación y extinción. Esta ambigüedad se refleja especialmente en los procedimientos de ejecución y en la valoración judicial de los requisitos establecidos por el artículo 97 CC, que exige la existencia de un desequilibrio económico relevante como consecuencia directa de la ruptura matrimonial.
Uno de los aspectos más problemáticos desde la perspectiva jurídica es el tratamiento que recibe la pensión compensatoria en caso de fallecimiento del obligado al pago. El artículo 101.2 del Código Civil dispone que la obligación no se extingue por la muerte del deudor, sino que se transmite a sus herederos. Esta disposición, de redacción imprecisa y ambigua, ha generado interpretaciones divergentes y una importante polémica doctrinal. No existe un criterio uniforme sobre si esta obligación constituye una deuda personal del causante, una carga hereditaria o una obligación de carácter singular. La jurisprudencia aplicable sigue siendo escasa y contradictoria, lo que incrementa la inseguridad jurídica tanto para los beneficiarios como para los herederos obligados al cumplimiento de la prestación.
Finalmente, se aborda la repercusión del artículo 101.2 del Código Civil en el ámbito del Derecho de la Seguridad Social, particularmente respecto al acceso a la pensión de viudedad. El marco normativo actual exige, como condición para el reconocimiento de dicha prestación, que el solicitante perciba efectivamente una pensión compensatoria que se haya extinguido por el fallecimiento del deudor. Esta exigencia legal ha generado situaciones de trato desigual en donde, beneficiarios en buena situación económica acceden a la pensión de viudedad, mientras personas en situación precaria quedan excluidas, lo cual pone en tela de juicio el principio de equidad en la protección social. Por tanto, se plantea la necesidad de una reforma integral que armonice el régimen civil y el sistema de Seguridad Social, en aras de garantizar una mayor justicia material y coherencia normativa.
Over the last ten years, the Spanish legal system has seen a significant number of proceedings for the dissolution of marriage, with a total of 921,564 cases of divorce, separation or annulment. Of these proceedings, more than 76,000 have resulted in the award of compensatory pensions, which demonstrates the validity of this mechanism as a legal means of mitigating the negative economic effects that marital breakdown can have on one of the parties. Compensatory alimony, as currently defined in the Civil Code, was introduced by Law 30/1981 of 7 July. This law expressly incorporated the legal regime for this benefit into Articles 97 to 101 of the Civil Code, the purpose of which is to compensate for the economic imbalance that separation or divorce may cause to one of the spouses. The institution was designed as a legal response to the then-predominant family model, in which women performed domestic and family functions, while men exercised the role of primary economic provider. As a result, when the relationship broke down, many women were left in a situation of economic vulnerability. In this context, the benefit seeks to restore the lost financial balance and prevent the unjustified impoverishment of one of the parties as a direct consequence of living together. Despite the profound social, cultural and economic changes experienced by Spanish society in recent decades, the legal regulation of compensatory alimony has remained virtually unchanged. This regulatory stagnation has led to a growing disconnect between social reality and the legal framework, resulting in legal uncertainty and difficulties in interpretation of a doctrinal and jurisprudential nature. The main controversies revolve around the legal nature of compensatory alimony, with direct implications for its attribution, duration, amount, modification and termination. This ambiguity is particularly reflected in enforcement proceedings and in the judicial assessment of the requirements established by Article 97 of the Civil Code, which requires the existence of a significant economic imbalance as a direct consequence of the breakdown of the marriage. One of the most problematic aspects from a legal perspective is the treatment of compensatory alimony in the event of the death of the person obliged to pay it. Article 101.2 of the Civil Code provides that the obligation is not extinguished by the death of the debtor, but is transferred to his or her heirs. This provision, which is imprecisely and ambiguously worded, has given rise to divergent interpretations and significant doctrinal controversy. There is no uniform criterion as to whether this obligation constitutes a personal debt of the deceased, an inheritance burden or an obligation of a singular nature. The applicable case law remains scarce and contradictory, which increases legal uncertainty for both the beneficiaries and the heirs obliged to comply with the provision. Finally, the impact of Article 101.2 of the Civil Code on social security law is addressed, particularly with regard to access to the widow's pension. The current regulatory framework requires, as a condition for recognition of this benefit, that the applicant actually receive a compensatory pension that has been extinguished by the death of the debtor. This legal requirement has led to situations of unequal treatment in which beneficiaries in a good financial situation have access to the widow's pension, while people in a precarious situation are excluded, which calls into question the principle of equity in social protection. Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive reform to harmonise the civil regime and the social security system in order to ensure greater material justice and regulatory consistency.
Over the last ten years, the Spanish legal system has seen a significant number of proceedings for the dissolution of marriage, with a total of 921,564 cases of divorce, separation or annulment. Of these proceedings, more than 76,000 have resulted in the award of compensatory pensions, which demonstrates the validity of this mechanism as a legal means of mitigating the negative economic effects that marital breakdown can have on one of the parties. Compensatory alimony, as currently defined in the Civil Code, was introduced by Law 30/1981 of 7 July. This law expressly incorporated the legal regime for this benefit into Articles 97 to 101 of the Civil Code, the purpose of which is to compensate for the economic imbalance that separation or divorce may cause to one of the spouses. The institution was designed as a legal response to the then-predominant family model, in which women performed domestic and family functions, while men exercised the role of primary economic provider. As a result, when the relationship broke down, many women were left in a situation of economic vulnerability. In this context, the benefit seeks to restore the lost financial balance and prevent the unjustified impoverishment of one of the parties as a direct consequence of living together. Despite the profound social, cultural and economic changes experienced by Spanish society in recent decades, the legal regulation of compensatory alimony has remained virtually unchanged. This regulatory stagnation has led to a growing disconnect between social reality and the legal framework, resulting in legal uncertainty and difficulties in interpretation of a doctrinal and jurisprudential nature. The main controversies revolve around the legal nature of compensatory alimony, with direct implications for its attribution, duration, amount, modification and termination. This ambiguity is particularly reflected in enforcement proceedings and in the judicial assessment of the requirements established by Article 97 of the Civil Code, which requires the existence of a significant economic imbalance as a direct consequence of the breakdown of the marriage. One of the most problematic aspects from a legal perspective is the treatment of compensatory alimony in the event of the death of the person obliged to pay it. Article 101.2 of the Civil Code provides that the obligation is not extinguished by the death of the debtor, but is transferred to his or her heirs. This provision, which is imprecisely and ambiguously worded, has given rise to divergent interpretations and significant doctrinal controversy. There is no uniform criterion as to whether this obligation constitutes a personal debt of the deceased, an inheritance burden or an obligation of a singular nature. The applicable case law remains scarce and contradictory, which increases legal uncertainty for both the beneficiaries and the heirs obliged to comply with the provision. Finally, the impact of Article 101.2 of the Civil Code on social security law is addressed, particularly with regard to access to the widow's pension. The current regulatory framework requires, as a condition for recognition of this benefit, that the applicant actually receive a compensatory pension that has been extinguished by the death of the debtor. This legal requirement has led to situations of unequal treatment in which beneficiaries in a good financial situation have access to the widow's pension, while people in a precarious situation are excluded, which calls into question the principle of equity in social protection. Therefore, there is a need for comprehensive reform to harmonise the civil regime and the social security system in order to ensure greater material justice and regulatory consistency.
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