Establishing paternity or maternity
You can apply to the district court to establish paternity if you wish a judge to establish who the father of a child is. This may be because the biological father does not want to acknowledge the child. This is called judicial establishment of paternity. The judge can also determine the maternity of a female partner.
Last updated on 10 August 2021
Establishing parenthood
To establish who the father of a child is, the court can order that a DNA test be carried out. To establish the parenthood of a female partner, the judge will determine whether she gave permission for the child to be conceived.
Applying for establishment of parenthood
Applications for establishing parenthood (in Dutch) are made to the district court. You will need a lawyer to do this on your behalf.
Laws and regulations (in Dutch)
Dutch Civil Code, Book 1, Section 4