The legal family in Spain

Abstract

The concept of family, as we know it today, has evolved throughout history, in parallel with the evolution of society. With the enactment of the 1978 Constitution and, subsequently, with the Reform of the Civil Code in 1981, some of the most important changes in the legal reality of the family have taken place: ‘husband and wife are equal in rights and duties’, marriage is no longer the regulating principle of the family. This has also had repercussions on the issues of children, the economy, property and the administration of assets.