What is Dutch contract law?

Dutch contract law is mainly found in the Dutch Civil Code. It forms an integral part of the general law of obligations. Under Dutch law an agreement (whether oral or in writing) between two or more parties creates in each party a duty to do or not do something, and the right to performance of the other party’s duty or a remedy for a breach.

Info on civil law in the Netherlands

For foreigners conducting business transactions in the Netherlands, accessing information about contract law in the Netherlands, Dutch employment law and litigation in the Netherlands can be a challenge. The purpose of this website is to increase the accessibility of commercial civil law and litigation in the Netherlands, by giving a brief overview in English of some of the key areas of Dutch contract law, Dutch labor law and legal proceedings that may be relevant for foreign companies or individuals doing business in the Netherlands. You will find pages about a broad range of Dutch law topics, including information about specific types of contracts in the Netherlands such as commercial agency agreements, distribution agreements, franchise agreements and security rights.

What are the principles of Dutch civil law?

This website also sheds light on some of the fundamental principles of Dutch civil law, for example the obligation of reasonableness and good faith that also permeates contract law in the Netherlands.

Edited by expert Dutch lawyers

The editor-in-chief of this website is an expert lawyer in the Netherlands, who used to be a founding partner of a Dutch law firm and who has rendered legal services in Amsterdam for 35 years. He leads a team of editors, endeavouring to highlight some of the unique aspects of Dutch commercial law that may be surprising for business people and lawyers coming from other countries.

This website about Dutch law is presented entirely in English, and is intended to be a unique and useful source of information in English about Dutch law that may otherwise be difficult to find.