Utrecht will continue its free relationship and divorce advice hour for residents of Leidsche Rijn, Vleuten and De Meern for another year. The pilot, open since March 2026, was visited by 38 residents in the past year. The city uses it as preventive help, to stop separations from turning into complex situations and escalations.
What the service offers
The advice hour is a pilot meant to help families as well as possible with relationship problems or a divorce. Residents can attend free of charge and anonymously, and can walk in without an appointment. The professionals present give information on financial or legal matters, on communication between partners and on parenting arrangements. The service works with, and refers people to, other divorce initiatives such as Villa Pinedo, the Scheidingscafé, divorce buddies and the ScheidingsATLAS.
Schedule for 2027
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Day and time | Every Monday, 14.30-16.30 |
| Location | Library in Leidsche Rijn |
| Legal adviser | Every two weeks until the end of the year; weekly from January |
The past year showed a strong need for good legal advice, which is why the legal adviser’s presence is being increased.
Why the city is doing it
According to the city, divorces regularly end in complex situations in which parents can no longer reach agreement together. Children can suffer from this, for example through stress or behavioural problems. Questions around divorce still too often become a youth care or child protection case. By guiding and supporting parents better, the city wants to prevent such problems among children. Alderman Dennis de Vries (Youth) said the aim is to prevent difficult divorces by helping families with practical matters such as housing, finances and organising care for the children. He added that the advice hour meets a need, with some people walking in every week.
What happens next
For now the advice hour stays limited to Leidsche Rijn, Vleuten and De Meern. If demand remains high and also comes from other parts of Utrecht, the city will look again at whether and where the service should continue.