The demand for official translations of English and Spanish divorce documents continues to grow as a result of British citizens getting divorced and having assets in Spain or living and getting divorced in Spain. Equally, Spanish citizens may also get divorced in the UK if they are living there.
If the spouses got married in Spain but they are getting divorced in the UK they may need the official translation into English of the Spanish marriage articles, Capitulaciones Matrimoniales.
In Spain, marriages are regulated by financial marriage regimes. The future spouses must sign the Marriage Articles before a Notary in Spain. They can sign the document before the marriage takes place or after having got married.
The marriage articles will state the spouses’ particulars and will identify the Notary. This document will mention the relevant legislation and notarial requirements.
More importantly, the marriage articles will indicate which financial regimen will regulate the marriage and therefore this arrangement has to be taken into account if the spouses decide to get divorced. The financial regimens can mainly be:
- The financial regime of separate ownership of matrimonial assets, régimen de separación de bienes. Under this financial regime, property owned and income earned both before and after marriage belongs to each spouse individually or
- The financial regimen of joint ownership of matrimonial assets, régimen de bienes gananciales. Under this financial regime, all property and income that accrues to the marriage partnership following marriage, except by way of inheritance, is jointly owned by both spouses.
In the UK, marriages are not regulated by matrimonial financial regimes and therefore there is no equivalent to the Spanish marriages articles.
Sworn Official Translators are appointed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation and their sworn official translations are authorised worldwide. The sworn official translation holds the same legal validity as the translated document.
Sworn Official Translators are experts in legal terminology and familiar with the two legal systems involved (in this case, English and Spanish), therefore they will produce accurate translations to be accepted by the relevant Authorities.