Aanspraak

Aanspraak is a Dutch noun that denotes a claim, entitlement, or right to something. It refers to a justified reason to receive a specific benefit, asset, or compensation, whether this right arises from contract, law, or customary practice. The term emphasizes the existence of a right that can be invoked or asserted.

In everyday and legal language, aanspraak appears in phrases such as aanspraak op pensioen, aanspraak op schadevergoeding, aanspraak op erfdeel, or aanspraak op uitkeringen. A person may “aanspraak maken op” or “een aanspraak doen gelden,” meaning to claim or assert the entitlement. In civil procedure, a formal claim brought before a court is called a vordering, while aanspraak highlights the underlying right rather than the procedural act. In social security, employment, and insurance law, aanspraak is used to describe eligibility for benefits or compensation.

Aanspraak is related to, but distinct from, terms like recht (right), claim, and vordering. The distinction lies in the emphasis: aanspraak focuses on the entitlement itself, whereas een eis or vordering emphasizes the demand or the procedural step to obtain it. The concept is common in Dutch legal writing as well as in general use when discussing rights, benefits, and entitlements.

See also: recht, vordering, eis, erfdeel, schadevergoeding, uitkering.