Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands Same-sex marriage in the Netherlands In the Netherlands, same-sex marriage ( or commonly "homohuwelijk") has been legal since 1 April 2001. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Unregistered partnerships or informal cohabitation is when same-sex or opposite-sex couples live together as a couple but they choose to keep the legal status of their relationship unregistered or informal. This means all worldwide assets that belong to a single party remain the sole property of the party with no legal entitlement by the other party, whether owned before or acquired during the relationship. This legal
Cohabitation agreement have been gained, regardless of any cohabitation agreement existing, but if a couple share a home their chances of buying the rights are much more limited. In December 2005, the British government offered gay couples equal rights with married couples if they register a civil partnership legally. The government-backed scheme – which enables same-sex couples to qualify for next-of-kin entitlements on inheritance tax, pensions and property – is likely to attract many more couples. There will still be large legal differences between civil partnership and marriage. For example, a couple can get married and have all the legal rights and