How do you add a partner to a profile when they are not married

Question

How do you add a partner to a profile, when there is no actual marriage, but 2 children are born to the relationship? Also, the children then take on the surname of the mother and not the father, how can the family line be followed, especially if the children take the name of the mother's 2nd husband?

Answer 1

Start by creating profiles for the children, listing the correct Last Name at Birth  - in the case you mention, the mother's last name.  List the name that the child is currently using - the mother's husband - in the Current Last Name or the Other Last Name field.  For example, you may want to list it in the Other Last Name field if the child is a married female who uses a different Current Last Name.  Now you have accounted for all last names.

If you have not yet created profiles for the parents, do that next.  Then edit the child's profile to add the mother.  When you add the profile number of the father, do not click 'Go'.  Instead, scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see the message "Child has a mother, Mother. If Mother isn't the spouse of the father you're adding above, uncheck them below."  Uncheck that box, then click on "ADD FATHER FOR CHILD".

The child's profile will show the correct biological parents, but the parents' profiles will not list the unmarried partner.  In the biography, you can list (or not list) any other information about relationships, such as Child was adopted by Mother's husband, or Child went by XXX surname after Mother married.

Answer 2

Hi Graham,

From the profile of one of the children create a profile for the father, then go back to the child and create a profile for the mother.  Do not marry the mother and father.  The children's names can be that of the mother's 2nd husband.  In the biographies of the mother and father you can provide a link to each other if you wish.

That should do it :)