The spousal support as a requirement for a widow’spension in cases of legal separation or divorce.According to a sentence of the High Court of Justiceof Cataluña (Social Chamber) 20 October 2010

[Resumo] Após a Lei 40/2007, o acceso á pensión de viuvez por parte das persoas divorciadas ou separadasxudicialmente restrinxiuse de forma considerable. Isto explícase, sobre todo, porque coa devandita norma se introduciu un novo requisito para beneficiarse da pensión de viuvez:que no momento do falecemento, o cónxuxe sobrevivente continúe a ser acredor da pensión compensatoria a que se refire o artigo 97 do Código civil.Co fin de corrixir a situación de especial vulnerabilidade en que quedaron aquelas persoas quese divorciaran ou separaran antes de se promulgar a citada norma, a Lei 26/2009 posibilitou unha excepción transitoria a tal regra, que unicamente pode entrar en xogo ante a concorrencia de certos requisitos. No medio de todas estas modificacións lexislativas ditouse a sentenza a cuxo comentario se dedica este traballo.[Abstract] Since the approval of Act 40/2007, access to the widow’s pension for those legally separated or divorced, has considerably been restricted. The explanation lays basically on a new requirement introduced by this act, which entitles: the spouse to pension support at the time of the decease, the survivor spouse continues to be the beneficiary of the spousal support as stated on article 97 of the Civil Code. In order to correct the special vulnerability situation of people who had separated or divorced before the passing of this act, the Act 26/2009 made a temporary exception possible, which could only apply if certain requirements concurred. In the meantime of all these legislative modifications, a sentence, at whose comment this article is devoted to, was delivered