More divorce cases

Dutch courts disposed of 36,900 divorce cases in 2001, five percent more than in 1999. Six out of ten divorces involved under-aged children. In nearly all these cases, parents retained their parental rights after the divorce had been finalised.

1,800 more divorce cases than in 1999

Last year 1,800 more divorce cases were finalised than in 1999. This is the first increase for a number of years: in the period 1994-1999 the number of cases fell from 37,850 to 35,100.

Parental rights after divorce

Parents retain parental rights following divorce

In 96 percent of divorce cases disposed of in 2001, parents retained their parental rights. In 1993 this was true for only sixteen percent of divorces. This drastic change was caused by a change in legislation.

Total monthly amount of child maintenance in euro, 2001

Child maintenance between 100 and 300 euro per month

In 2001 courts ordered one of the parents to pay child maintenance in one third of divorce cases. When awarded for one under-aged child, the amount of maintenance was between 100 and 200 euro in 55 percent of the cases. For two children it was mostly between 200 and 300 euro. For three or more children amounts of more than 300 euro per month were most common.

Cheng Wang and Nic Steenbrink