Mineurs et contrats : à quoi les enfants peuvent-ils consentir sans consentement ?

Children under 18 in the Netherlands need their parents’ consent to enter into a contract, except for everyday purchases that are normal for children of their age. If your child signs up for something bigger without your consent, such as a gym membership or a phone contract, you can annul (détruire) that contract.

The rules are set out in Article 1:234 of the Dutch Civil Code (BW). Below we explain what your child can and cannot do alone, how you undo a contract and what your child has to pay back. One important exception applies to employment contracts from the age of 16 (Article 7:612 BW).

Que dit la loi concernant les contrats conclus par des enfants ?

Un mineur peut conclure un contrat, mais uniquement avec le consentement de ses parents ou de son tuteur légal (article 1:234(1) du Code civil bulgare). Un contrat conclu sans ce consentement est annulable : il reste valable jusqu’à son annulation par le parent ou le tuteur.

Your consent can be given for a specific purchase or for a certain purpose in general (Article 1:234(2) BW). If you give your child pocket money or a clothing allowance, you consent to your child spending that money on what it is meant for.

For everyday transactions, consent is presumed. Under Article 1:234(3) BW, consent is assumed for acts that minors of that age customarily perform on their own, such as a sandwich at the bakery, a bus ticket or school supplies. Such purchases are valid, and you cannot undo them later.

Quand votre consentement est-il requis ?

Your consent is required for anything beyond an everyday purchase, especially long-term obligations and larger amounts. Examples include:

• abonnements à une salle de sport ;
• contrats de téléphonie mobile ;
• abonnements en ligne, tels que les services de streaming ou de jeux vidéo ;
• achats payés en plusieurs versements;
• prêts et autres crédits.

Le caractère coutumier d'une chose dépend de l'âge de l'enfant, de sa valeur et des normes sociales. Un billet de cinéma est coutumier pour un jeune de 14 ans ; un ordinateur portable acheté à crédit ne l'est pas.

Que peut faire votre enfant à quel âge ?

Article 1:234 BW uses no fixed age limits for ordinary purchases. What is customary grows with age, so a 17-year-old can do more alone than a 10-year-old; the main fixed age limit is 16, for the employment contract.

Jeunes enfants

A young child can do little alone. Buying an ice cream or a small toy with pocket money is valid. For anything more, such as opening a savings account, you as parents act on your child’s behalf as legal representatives (Article 1:245(4) BW).

Enfants de 12 à 15 ans

Children of this age can make small, everyday purchases on their own, such as school supplies, snacks or inexpensive personal items. For a gym membership, an online game subscription or an expensive purchase, your consent under Article 1:234 BW is required.

Les jeunes de 16 et 17 ans

From 16, many young people have a part-time job and manage their own money. Spending their own earnings on ordinary things will often be customary, but larger commitments still require your consent. The District Court of Overijssel held on 29 September 2020 that a 17-year-old’s exam training contract of €813 was not customary for his age and had been validly annulled (ECLI:NL:RBOVE:2020:3509).

An employment contract is a special case. Under Article 7:612(1) BW, a minor aged 16 or older can enter into an employment contract without consent and is treated as an adult for everything relating to it. For a child under 16 who starts working without your consent, you are deemed to have consented if you do not invoke the lack of consent within four weeks after work starts (Article 7:612(2) BW). The Working Hours Act (Calendrier des horaires de travail) separately restricts which work children may do and when.

À partir de 18 ans : adultes

At 18, your child is an adult with full legal capacity (Article 1:233 BW) and is bound by all contracts they sign. You can no longer undo them.

Les mêmes règles s'appliquent-elles aux contrats en ligne ?

Yes. A contract concluded online by clicking “yes” is subject to the same Article 1:234 BW as a contract signed in a shop.

Children come across paid services online easily: in-game purchases, streaming services, apps and subscriptions that start after a free trial. Small in-app purchases may count as customary for older children, but a recurring monthly subscription usually does not. The company bears the risk of contracting with a minor.

Et si votre enfant mentait sur son âge ?

In principle the contract remains voidable even if your child gave a false date of birth. The protection of Article 1:234 BW does not disappear because a minor lied.

A misled company may try to recover its loss in another way. A child aged 14 or older can be liable for their own wrongful acts (Article 6:164 BW), and parents are liable for wrongful acts of a child under 14 (Article 6:169 BW). For small amounts such claims are rare.

Comment annuler un contrat signé par son enfant ?

You annul the contract by sending a written statement to the company (Article 3:50 BW). No court procedure is needed, as long as the contract was concluded without your consent and was not customary for your child’s age.

State in a letter or e-mail that your minor child concluded the contract without your consent and that you annul it as legal representative under Article 1:234 BW. Ask the company to confirm the termination and refund any payments, and keep copies of the contract, the correspondence and proof of payment.

Courts accept such annulments. The subdistrict court of Limburg (Roermond) dismissed a gym’s claim of €283.48 against a 16-year-old whose father had written that he had not consented to the membership (4 November 2015, ECLI:NL:RBLIM:2015:9307).

There is no short statutory deadline, but the company can set you a reasonable period to choose between confirming and annulling the contract (Article 3:55(2) BW). After that period you can no longer annul it.

Votre enfant doit-il rembourser quelque chose ?

After annulment, both sides must in principle return what they received. A minor only has to repay insofar as they actually benefited from what they received (Article 6:209 BW).

If your child has already used a gym for a month, the company may argue that your child benefited and ask for reasonable compensation; the court decides what is fair. Money your child paid must in principle be refunded: in the Overijssel case the company had to repay €609.75 plus collection costs.

Pouvez-vous approuver le contrat ultérieurement ?

Yes. If you confirm the contract (Article 3:55(1) BW), it becomes valid and you can no longer annul it. Confirmation can be given verbally, but do it in writing to avoid discussion; continuing to pay without objecting can also be seen as approval.

Que se passe-t-il si quelqu'un d'autre signe pour votre enfant ?

A contract that someone else, such as an older sibling or a friend, concludes on behalf of your child only binds your child if you authorised that person or approve the contract afterwards.

Without authority and approval, the contract does not bind your child. The person who signed without authority may then be liable to the company for its loss (Article 3:70 BW).

What should you check as a parent?

Most problems with minors’ contracts can be prevented or undone with a letter, provided you act before the company sets a deadline under Article 3:55(2) BW.

• Is the contract a recurring or long-term obligation, or a larger amount, rather than an everyday purchase for your child’s age?
• Did you give consent, explicitly or for this purpose in general, for example through an allowance (Article 1:234(2) BW)?
• Have you sent a written annulment and kept a copy?
• Has the company set you a period to decide, and when does it end?
• Did your child pay with your bank card or payment account? Then also contact your bank or payment provider.
• Are parental controls on in app stores and game consoles, and are your payment details out of your child’s reach?

What should you check as a company contracting with minors?

A company that contracts with a minor bears the risk of annulment under Article 1:234 BW, even if the child gave a false age.

• Do you ask for the date of birth, and for parental consent for minors, before a subscription or credit starts?
• Is your product customary for the age group you sell to, or a long-term obligation?
• Have you set the parents a reasonable period to confirm or annul (Article 3:55(2) BW)?
• After annulment, have you limited your claim to what the minor actually benefited from (Article 6:209 BW)?

What can we do for you with a contract your child signed?

Notre avocats de la famille advise parents, and companies, on contracts concluded by minors.

• We assess whether the contract was customary for your child’s age or required your consent.
• We draft the written annulment under Article 1:234 BW and the request for a refund.
• We respond to a company’s claim, collection letter or deadline under Article 3:55(2) BW.
• We calculate what, if anything, your child has to repay under Article 6:209 BW.
• We represent you before the subdistrict court (droit cantonal) if the company sues.

Résumé

• Jusqu’à 18 ans, votre enfant a besoin de votre consentement pour les contrats, sauf pour les achats courants qui sont habituels pour son âge (Article 1:234 BW).
• Un contrat conclu sans votre consentement est annulable : vous pouvez l’annuler par une déclaration écrite adressée à la société.
• À partir de 16 ans, votre enfant peut conclure un contrat de travail sans votre consentement (Article 7:612 BW).
• Après l’annulation, votre enfant ne doit rembourser que dans la mesure où il a réellement bénéficié (Article 6:209 BW).
• Act quickly: the company can set you a reasonable period to decide (Article 3:55(2) BW).

Le texte légal de l'article 1:234 BW se trouve dans le livre 1 du Code civil néerlandais.

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