A family judgement issued in any country can have effect in Spain if the person concerned so requests.
For example, a divorce that has been granted abroad can be registered in the Spanish Civil Registry when one (or both) of the parties is Spanish. If a succession judgement is issued in Italy distributing the assets of a deceased Italian and part of those assets are in Spain, the judgment will have to take effect in Spain. If a Canadian maintenance judgment condemns a resident of Spain to pay maintenance and he/she does not pay it, a recognition and enforcement of the judgement will have to be sought here.
Generally speaking, in order for a judgment to produce in Spain the effects it has in the country where it was handed down, our authorities have to “review” that judgment and check whether it meets the necessary requirements to be recognised in Spain.
The applicable standard for recognition and/or enforcement of the judgment depends on its origin and the subject matter. The date of commencement of the foreign proceedings is often relevant.
