Couples who marry without a prenuptial agreement should no longer automatically be responsible for each others’ debts, according to a majority of MPs.

At the moment, most people marry under common property and financial liability rules but this is old-fashioned and ignores women’s financial independence, MPs say.
‘We should assume everyone can look after themselves,’ D66 MP Magda Berndsen is quoted as saying. ‘Women are emancipated, have their own income and are often not dependent on their partner, as they were 20 or 30 years ago. We need to modernise the law.’
The VVD said the change would also benefit freelancers and very small companies. At the moment, if a person goes bankrupt, their partner is also liable for their debts.