Marriage and alternative status relationships in the Netherlands

The trend set by the Netherlands in 1998 with the introduction of registered partnership and in 2001, with the opening up of marriage for same-sex couples, has been followed by a growing number of jurisdictions. Relationship law includes marriage law, registered partnership law and the law in relation to non-marital cohabitation, which in the Netherlands is mostly case law. The legal position of men and women has been subject to substantial change. Many social developments initiated or triggered this legal reform. The most influence of equality on the law concerns the legal position of same-sex partners compared to that of opposite-sex partners. The changing status of marriage is marked by changes in relationship behaviour. As a result of individualization, secularization and the emancipation of women, the popularity of marriage has diminished. The Dutch policy with respect to relationships and families has been primarily aimed at realizing equality and facilitating individual life choices.