A Chinese woman received $35,000 in compensation for housework done for her ex-husband

A divorce process in China concluded in a remarkable way. A woman demanded compensation from her ex-husband for the years she spent doing household work. She asked for $7,000, but the court ruled that he should pay her $35,000. This was reported by “Pravila jizni,” citing The China Morning Post.

Reasons for the divorce

The couple married in 2011 and had children. However, in October 2022, they had a serious dispute over the child's education, which ultimately led the woman to file for divorce.

During the divorce proceedings, a woman named Xu sought custody of her daughter, demanded equal division of their joint property, and requested $7,000 in compensation for household work. She emphasized that she had solely taken care of household chores and child-rearing without any help from her husband.

The court acknowledged the value of household work

During the court proceedings, the judge's assistant based the decision on Chinese laws, stating: "All household work should be equally divided between the husband and wife."

According to the Chinese Civil Code, if one party spends more time on household chores and child-rearing during the marriage, the other party is required to pay compensation during the divorce.

As a result, the court ruled that instead of $7,000, the husband should pay $35,000 in compensation. This decision cannot be appealed.

Legal significance

This ruling indicates that household work and child-rearing are being recognized as labor in China. Such examples are rare in societies that do not consider household chores a primary responsibility.

This court decision in China calls for a reevaluation of traditional views on household work and child-rearing in marriage. The court awarded the woman five times more compensation than she requested, and this case may influence future divorce cases in the country.