Once you have signed the cohabitation contract, lots of things will already have been arranged. However, make sure to also consider your will and your pension.
Making a contract
Bas and Evelien are facing major changes in their lives. They are both starting a new job and will move to another city and live together.
Fortunately, they have already figured out that they want to make proper arrangements in writing. The best thing to do is draw up a cohabitation contract and a will. It is up to you to decide what to include in the contract as long as it does not contravene the law. Some schemes require a cohabitation contract as a condition, for example in the case of employee benefits that also benefit the partner. In these situations, an official contract signed at a notarys office is sometimes requested.
This is the case when applying for a partner's pension. This scheme provides that if one of the partners dies, the surviving partner is entitled to a surviving dependants’ pension. The surviving dependants’ pension is generally 70% of the pension that the deceased would have received on his or her retirement date. But just to be on the safe side, check the welcome letter. The benefit statement should state what cover is insured. If it is not as described above, it may be wise to take out an extra death pension with your insurer.