Parental authority

When an unmarried partner has acknowledged the child, this does not mean that he/she also shares parental authority with the mother. Parental authority is the right and duty to raise and care for the child. In addition, the person who has parental authority over a child is also his or her legal representative. Every child under the age of 18 is under the 'authority' of one or more adults.

JOINT AUTHORITY

In the case of unmarried parents, parental authority only goes to the mother. If the partner also wants to receive parental authority, a request must be submitted to the court together with the mother. The father or co-mother must then have acknowledged the child.

AUTHORITY REQUEST

You must apply for parental authority at the registry of the court. You can apply for it digitally or with the application form 'Request for joint custody of a minor'. Both options can be found at www.rechtspraak.nl. You need both of you DigID and your child 's citizen service number (BSN) for this.

Also look for more information on the website of the national government.