Coparenting: The Business of Raising Children Without Romance

Coparenting: The Factory of Children Without Love or Sens

How far can social engineering go to enable reproduction without romantic entanglements? Anthropologist Carmen Balaguer has professionalized coparenting in Spain. Her agency, launched in early 2021, has matched over 200 people willing to be parents without sharing a bed, affection, or even a one-night stand. A girl born in Barcelona next October will be the first child from this contractual formula, an event set to revolutionize—or finalize—the concept of family.

The Business Growing from Desperation

The premise is simple: two people who want to be parents but have no partner (or don’t want one) sign an agreement to raise a child together. Balaguer’s agency acts as a modern-day matchmaker, but without romantic meddling: you provide sperm, she provides the egg and womb, and both provide the funds. The service has seen massive uptake. “More and more people are joining the coparenting community,” reads the original post. But who are these people? Primarily women racing against their biological clock and men willing to assume fatherhood without emotional ties. Or, as critics say, “losers” who pay to raise someone else’s child.

The Legal Risk Hidden in the Contract

The problem, family law experts point out, is that Spanish law does not recognize private contracts. Once a man acknowledges paternity—biological or not—he assumes irrevocable obligations. He cannot waive child support, and if the mother revokes custody, the father must still pay. Analysts agree that the legal framework is the Achilles’ heel: “Spanish law states that a father cannot renounce paternity and must pay if the child is not in his custody,” the alert reads. In other words, you sign a paper to be a father, but if the other party changes their mind, you become merely a payer. You don’t even get the consolation of having “slept together,” as some ironically note.

New Family Form or Old Scam in Disguise?

Behind the word “coparenting” lies a phenomenon some call a “modern arranged marriage,” but with love removed. Defenders argue it is a healthier alternative to traditional relationships, which often end in traumatic divorces. “They raise a child halfway, without a romantic relationship or breakup. Much healthier than most relationships today,” reads an optimistic comment. However, skepticism is overwhelming. The debate centers on a recurring term: “losers.” For most, the man loses out: he assumes financial responsibilities for nothing—no sens, no affection, no legal security. “The price of fatherhood keeps rising,” conclude the cynics, referring to the biological need for reproduction.

The Children: The Variable No One Wants to See

Amid adult controversy, the most vulnerable are the children. Some analysts warn these minors will grow up knowing they are the product of a contract, not a relationship. “At ten years old, this child will be told that dad and mom signed a contract to enjoy the child 15 days each,” laments a comment. The coldness of the agreement contrasts with the warmth childhood should entail. The agency insists the child will have two committed parents, but reality is that coparenting is an unprecedented social experiment in Spain. Awaiting the first results, society watches with perplexity this new chapter in the denaturalization of the family.

The Future: More Agencies, More Laws, More Meteors?

The model’s success depends on whether legislation adapts. Meanwhile, the business grows. Balaguer has already helped over 200 people, and demand continues to rise. But the debate leaves one question hanging: is this a solution to loneliness or an emotional scam disguised as pogre? The answer, as usual, will come from the court. Or the psychologist. Or both. For now, the skeptics can only ask for “a meteorite.” It doesn’t matter that love has gone: coparenting has come to stay.