You can submit a petition to the district court to determine who the father or co-mother of a child is. The district court will only do this if the petition is submitted by the birth mother or the child. You must submit what is called a ‘petition for judicial determination of parenthood’. You will need a lawyer for this.
The birth mother or the child must ask to determine parenthood
Only the birth mother or the child can submit a petition to the district court. Fathers and co-mothers cannot do this. They may acknowledge the child instead.
When to ask for determination of parenthood
Judicial determination of parenthood is possible, for example, if:
- the biological father refuses to acknowledge the child;
- the biological father of the child died before acknowledging the child.
DNA testing to determine parenthood
If you have asked the district court to determine who the father of a child is, the court can order a DNA test. This test will show who the father is.
Determining the parenthood of a female partner
If you have asked the district court to determine the parenthood of a female partner (co-mother), the court will investigate whether she agreed to the conception of the child. Based on this, the court will decide whether the co-mother is the child’s second parent.
Laws and regulations (in Dutch)
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Last updated on 25 June 2026