Divorces in the province of Alicante declined by 10% in the first quarter of this year, while custody conflicts between unmarried couples climbed by up to 23%, according to the most recent General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) statistics. According to the figures, up to 992 divorce proceedings were filed in Alicante courts between January and March, a substantial decrease from the previous year’s total of 1,106.
According to Gracia Carrión, a family law specialist at the Icali (Illustrious Bar Association), this fall could be attributed to a decrease in the number of weddings. The truth is that data show that the province celebrates an average of 6,000 marriages every year, but more than 4,000 divorces occur annually. These numbers show a high rate of breakups.
However, while not as common as divorces, statistics reveal a significant increase in custody conflicts among de facto spouses. The 217 consensual alterations to child custody, child support, and child support arrangements were constant, with an 11.5% decline year on year, while the 296 non-consensual modifications increased by 27.9%. Carrión believes that these results may reflect a social shift among couples who opt not to marry.
The CGPJ statistics also show a decline in post-divorce proceedings. Non-consensual changes to measures declined by 19.7%, while consensual changes fell by 15.9%. This predicts fewer legal issues between former couples. The majority of court cases involve common-law couples.
The decrease in divorces in the province of Alicante contrasts with the fact that last year, that quarter led the increase in divorces in the Valencian Community. This year, however, the number of divorces in Alicante is declining more dramatically than in the rest of the Community. The total number of marital dissolution claims (separations, divorces, and annulments) lodged in the Valencian Community during the first quarter of 2025 was 2,913, a 6.1% reduction from the same quarter last year.
Valencia received 1,591 dissolution requests, including contentious and consensual separations and divorces. Alicante received 992 requests for dissolution, while Castellón received the remaining 330.
Distribution by Zones
The Alicante court district had the most divorces, with 232 (136 consensual and 93 non-consensual). However, it is worth noting that Elche had more voluntary divorces (140) than Alicante. In total, the Elche judicial district documented 212 breakups. Other areas are distributed in alphabetical order as follows: Alcoy, 31; Benidorm, 41; Dénia, 73; Elda, 40; Ibi, 20; Novelda, 45; Orihuela, 122; San Vicente, 48; Torrevieja, 59; Villajoyosa, 16; and Villena, 24.
As of January 1st 2025, the Valencian Community ranked third in the country for marital dissolution applications per 100,000 people, with a rate of 54.8, trailing only the Balearic Islands (57.4) and the Canary Islands (56.9). The nationwide average was 49.9.
Modification of Measures
The Valencian Community filed 351 requests for adjustment of agreed measures during the analysed period, indicating a 7.9% year-on-year reduction. The number of requests to modify non-consensual measures, 986, reduced by 6.2%.
Valencia has 576 requests for modification without consensus and 186 with consensus. In Alicante, 302 requests for non-consensual measures were submitted, whereas 111 requests for mutually agreed-upon measure modifications were submitted. In Castellón, there were 108 requests without consensus and 54 with consensus.
Agreed-upon modifications to child custody and support measures for non-marital children remained consistent at 577, showing an 11.5% decrease year on year, while non-consensual modifications grew by 27.9% to 133.
The overall statistical impact of the new Efficiency of Justice Act, which forces parties to try to reach an agreement before coming to court, remains to be seen. In the absence of such an agreement, the court may dismiss the lawsuit. This rule ensures that the court only intervenes when necessary.
Other jurisdictions
Between January and March 2025, the judicial organisations of the province of Alicante received 85,708 cases, a 13.4% rise over the previous year. A total of 72,153 cases were settled, a 2.3% rise, while 189,733 remained outstanding at the end of March, a 23.8% increase.
In the Community, by jurisdiction, the Civil Court had 127,939 cases, up 21.3%, while the Contentious Court had 4,565, up 16.9%.
Author: Derek Appleton
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