According to Dutch law, as a married father of a child born in wedlock, you automatically share custody of your child with your wife. In the case of unmarried couples, sole custody of any children goes to the mother unless the parents request to register joint custody.
A lot of new parents aren’t aware of this. As a result, children who are born to unmarried couples are often legally in the sole custody of their mothers. If a couple decides to break up, this has serious repercussions for the father’s rights with regards to his children.
These laws are currently being reconsidered because of the results of a survey among VFAS members. A legislative proposal stating that unmarried fathers will automatically share custody with mothers once they officially recognize their children is expected in the near future.
We will keep you informed!
