Personal and family law

A will is a notarial deed in which you set out what is to happen to your money, home, assets and debts after your death. You state who your heirs are and who receives what from you when you are no longer here.

In a will you can also provide for future situations. For example, if you have children or if your partner remarries after your death. You can also disinherit heirs. To settle your estate, you appoint an executor in your will.

If there is no will, or if the heirs designated in the will and their children have died, the law determines who your heirs are.

In a cohabitation agreement, you record important agreements about your life together. This provides clarity, prevents misunderstandings and ensures financial security, both during your relationship and in the future.

You can, among other things, make agreements about:

• whether your household contents are joint or (partly) private, and whether there are private assets or private debts;
• the ownership of the balance on a joint (and/or) account;
• the division of household costs, such as groceries and fixed expenses;
• the financial contribution towards the purchase of a home and how it is settled in the event of a sale or the end of the relationship;
• the consequences for the home and any pension rights in the event of a break-up;
• a survivorship clause, by which you arrange that joint assets pass to the surviving partner upon death.

With a cohabitation agreement you choose clear arrangements and avoid uncertainty afterwards. That way you both know where you stand, now and in the future.

A registered partnership is almost the same as a marriage. You must also first give notice of your intended partnership to the municipality, either digitally or in person. The partners then sign a declaration at the town hall in the presence of witnesses.

The differences from a marriage are the following:

• You do not have to say "I do" to each other.
• You can end the registered partnership with a notary or lawyer. If there are minor children or if you disagree with each other, you must go to court, just as with a marriage.
• A registered partnership can be converted into a marriage. The reverse is not possible.
• A registered partnership is not always recognised in other countries, or different rules apply.