Termination of civil partnership

By a court decision:

• If only 1 of the partners wants to dissolve the partnership.
• If the partners have parental authority over 1 or more children under the age of 18. Joint parental authority is not required.

Through a ‘termination agreement’ at a lawyer or civil-law notary:

• If both partners want to dissolve the partnership.

Through a court ruling:

1. You go to a lawyer or attorney.
2. Is the ruling irrevocable? Then you or your lawyer must submit the ruling to the municipality to have it registered within 6 months.

Through a ‘termination agreement’:

1. You have a lawyer or civil-law notary draw up a termination agreement.
2. The lawyer or notary draws up a statement (as described in Article 80c 1st paragraph, under c of BW) that a termination agreement has been made.
3. You or your lawyer or civil-law notary must submit the agreement (named in Point 2) to the municipality to have it registered. This must be done within 3 months after the agreement has been made. After this period you can no longer register the agreement and it will expire.

Your partnership is officially terminated when:

• the court decision has been recorded at the Registry Office. It can only be registered when the ruling has become irrevocable.
• the municipality has recorded the termination agreement at the Registry Office.

Did you enter your civil partnership in The Hague? Or did you enter the partnership outside of the Netherlands? Then you have to send the documents for the termination of your partnership to:

Dienst Publiekszaken, Unit Registratie
Postbus 12620
2500 DL Den Haag

If the civil partnership took place in a different municipality in the Netherlands, the documents have to be sent to that municipality.

There are no costs for registration. You will need to pay the fees for a lawyer or civil-law notary.

Have you submitted the declaration to the municipality? It will be registered within 1 week.