Now that you are pregnant, a few legal issues must be settled. Below you will find information about recognition, parental authority and registering the birth. More information can also be found on www. You can let the Registrar know which surname your child will have. You can ask for recognition before the birth recognition of the unborn , during the registration of birth, or at a later date.
To do this you must first make an appointment. In this case, you should register within three working days after the birth, i. We therefore advise you to ask for recognition of the unborn during your pregnancy. Recognition may be requested by any Registrar of Civil Status at and Municipal office in the Netherlands, regardless of the address of both parties. If you have custody of a child, you are responsible for the care and upbringing of the child, and have a duty to maintenance it.
In the Netherlands, all minors must be under the authority of an adult. This means that they can not independently make decisions. Usually one of the parents exercises authority, but even non-parents may have custody of a child. At 18 years the child comes of age, but an extended service obligation of three years then applies. This means you are required by law to pay the care and study costs of the child. Even a parent without custody is responsible for maintenance.
Are you the father of a child, but neither married to the mother nor registered partners? You will not get automatic custody of your child.
If you want joint custody, you can request this at Court. One very important condition is that you have recognised your child. If you are married, the husband is automatically the legal father of the child. The mother and the recognised parent can request joint custody of the child only after the Act of Recognition has been acquired. You can obtain joint custody by signing a statement in the Custodians Register which can be found in the Family and Youth department of the Court.
