More than 750 quick divorces in 2001

The number of registered partnerships between men and women in the Netherlands rose strongly in the second half of 2001. This increase is probably related to the introduction of the option to convert an existing marriage to a registered partnership on 1 April 2001. Many of these conversions end in an annulment.

Just over 750 of these quick divorces took place up to and including December 2001, accounting for two percent of the total number of divorces in 2001. Most of these quick divorces were carried out within two months of the conversion to a registered partnership. About one third of couples separated in the same month, another quarter in the following month.

Partnership registrations

Increase in partnership registrations

Some 2.8 thousand partnerships were registered from April to December 2001. According to provisional figures 1.1 thousand of these are conversions of existing marriages to registered partnerships.

More than 750 of these conversions were followed by an annulment in 2001. The more recent conversions and probable subsequent separations are not yet included in the figures.

Same sex couples

The number of partnership registrations of couples of the same sex fell further after 1 April. From this date homosexual couple can officially marry and this seems to have reduced the demand for registered partnerships in this group.

Maarten Alders