Law Changes 2020: Family

The Dutch government is implementing a large number of rules, regulations, and law changes at the stroke of midnight on January 1. Below is a summary of changes made in the category Family:

The childcare allowance is increasing in 2020. The government pays a percentage of the costs of childcare, and the amount of this allowance depends on the income of the child's guardians and the number of children for whom care is provided. Oftentimes, the lower the income, the higher the allowance. To calculate how much you are eligible for, visit the government's new online calculator here.

From January 1st, the maximum period divorced couples have to pay partner alimony will be 5 years, down from the original 12 years. If the marriage or registered partnership lasted less than 10 years, the ex-partner can receive alimony for half the time that the partnership or married lasted. If the couple has children together, partner alimony does not stop until the youngest child is 12 years old. More information here.

Alimony amounts for child support and partner alimony change with wages every year based on an annual index. On January 1st, all alimony amounts will increase by 2.5 percent. The increase or decrease of wages is calculated by Statistics Netherlands, and the Minister of Justice and Security uses those figures to determine the indexing of alimony.