Parental denial

If the mother of a child is married, then her husband becomes the child's father. This also applies to registered partnerships. In lesbian couples, the partner becomes the child's duo mother. The child must then have been conceived by artificial insemination using an anonymous sperm donor.

It is possible to deny parenthood. For example, because the spouse is not the biological father of the child. Or because the duo mother has played no role in the care or upbringing of the child. The mother, father/duo mother and the child can apply for denial of parenthood.

You can read about the procedure for establishing parenthood through the court at Rechtspraak.nl.

The mother can sometimes also deny parenthood through the municipality. This is possible if the partner has died or if you are divorced. The legal mother then applies for a deed of denial.

The Requirements to deny the father's parentage through the municipality are:

• You are the child's legal mother.
• The child is not yet 1 year old.
• The man whose parentage you wish to deny was your spouse or registered partner.
• The husband died within 306 days before the birth of your child.
• You lived separately from the husband from the 306th day before your child's birth date.

The condition for denying parenthood to the mother through the municipality is:

• The mother and the duo mother have been living separately (apart from each other) since artificial donor fertilization.