Will I pay less alimony if I take care of the children for more days?

Yes. If you spend more days a week with your child, you can pay less child alimony.

In the Netherlands this is called ‘care discount’. This discount is based on the average number of days per week (including holidays) that you care of the children. The idea behind it is that on those days the parent who pays the fixed costs (school, sports, clothing etc.) for the child does not incur any costs for the daily things like food.

If you care for the children less than 1 day a week: 5%.
At an average of 1 day per week: 15
At an average of 2 days a week: 25
At an average of 3 days a week: 35

The minimum is 5 %, because parents have a right and an obligation towards each other and towards the child to ensure that there is contact, and so the parent could have incurred at least that cost.

Exceptions are of course possible. For example, if the parent with a care arrangement or visitation arrangement does not fulfil his or her obligation to contact the child. In that case, the court could assume a 0% care discount.