Belgian Civil Code Article 375bis — Grandparents' Right to Contact¶
TL;DR. Article 375bis of the Belgian Civil Code grants grandparents a personal, independent statutory right to maintain contact with their grandchildren — irrespective of which parent has custody, and irrespective of whether the parents are alive, divorced, or in conflict. The right can only be denied where contact is contrary to the child's interest. One of Europe's strongest grandparent-rights statutes.
Maintained by Alan Markson · Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 · License: CC BY 4.0
Statutory text (Belgian Civil Code Art. 375bis, translated)¶
"Grandparents have the right to maintain personal relations with the child. The same right may be granted to any other person who can demonstrate a particular bond of affection with the child. In the absence of agreement between the parties, the exercise of this right shall be regulated, in the interest of the child, on application of the parties or of the Public Prosecutor, by the Family Court."
Key features¶
- Personal right — held by the grandparent, not derivative of the parent's rights
- Burden on the refusing party — must show contact is contrary to the child's interest (presumption is in favor of contact)
- No requirement of prior bond for grandparents (presumed); required for "any other person"
- Court-enforceable via the juge de la famille (Tribunal de la famille)
- Cross-references Civil Code Art. 374 (parental authority) + Art. 387bis (court powers in family disputes)
How this applies in PA contexts¶
When a targeted parent's relationship is alienated, the alienator commonly extends the campaign to the targeted parent's family — grandparents on that side are also cut off. Article 375bis provides those grandparents with an independent legal pathway to maintain contact. They do not need the targeted parent to win their own custody case first.
This dual-track strategy can: - Preserve the child's bond with the targeted-parent side of the family - Generate independent witness evidence of alienating behaviors - Create a documented contact pattern that supports the targeted parent's broader case - Provide the child with a safe, lower-conflict adult relationship during litigation
Procedure¶
- Attempted contact — grandparents document attempted contact + refusal
- Conciliation — Family Court conciliation chamber attempts mediated agreement
- Adversarial proceedings — if conciliation fails, formal request before the juge de la famille
- Court order — defines frequency, duration, location, supervision (if any)
- Enforcement — non-compliance enforceable via Civil Code Art. 387ter (astreinte / dwangsom daily penalty)
Comparable rights — other jurisdictions¶
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Civil Code Art. 375bis | Strong personal right |
| France | Civil Code Art. 371-4 | Strong, similar to Belgium |
| Italy | Civil Code Art. 317-bis | Strong, 2013 expansion |
| United States | Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (2000) | Limited — fitness-presumption dominates |
| United Kingdom | No statutory right; leave required under Children Act 1989 s.10 | Limited |
| Germany | BGB § 1685 | Moderate |
Citing posts¶
| # | Post |
|---|---|
| 47 | https://www.antialienate.com/blog/grandparents-pa |
| 50 | https://www.antialienate.com/blog/belgium-police-report |
Primary source¶
- Code civil (Belgique), Art. 375bis: https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be
- Family Court Act (Loi du 30 juillet 2013, Tribunal de la famille et de la jeunesse)
Related entries¶
- case-law/belgium/penal-code-art-432.md
- case-law/united-states/troxel-v-granville-2000.md
- posts/47-grandparents-pa.md
Disclaimer¶
Wiki entry, not legal advice. Consult a Belgian avocat in family law.
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