21/06/2026
Family Contribution or Paid Work? The Boundaries Set by Case Law
The recent decision of the Athens Single-Member Court of Appeal No. 5357/2025 reminds us that work provided by one spouse to the other, or to the other spouse’s business, does not automatically give rise to a right to remuneration. Under Articles 1389 and 1390 of the Greek Civil Code, personal work and contribution to the shared family and professional life form part of the obligation to contribute to the needs of the family.
In order to establish an independent financial claim, it must be proven that the services provided exceeded the scope of ordinary family contribution and had the characteristics of separate, professionally quantifiable work. The decision highlights the importance of precise procedural substantiation of such claims and confirms that family law continues to play a decisive role in the legal classification of relations between spouses.
An interesting reminder that the boundaries between family solidarity and financial claims are not always clear and require careful legal assessment.