The couple line records whether two partners are married, living together, separated or divorced, together with the years of each stage. This article explains how to set the status and how each status is drawn.
The status of a couple is shown on the couple line itself. Following McGoldrick, Gerson and Petry (2020), a marriage is drawn as a solid line, a separation as one slash across it and a divorce as two slashes, each with the year in which it occurred. A relationship without marriage is drawn with a dashed couple line instead of a solid one.
Genogram Builder
Demonstration in the editorThis demonstration runs in the editor on a copy of a sample family. It does not change your own chart.
Procedure
1
Click the couple line that joins the two partners. A card opens with both names in its heading.
2
Select a status in Relationship, such as Divorced or Separated.
3
Type the year in which the relationship began in From.
4
If the relationship has ended, type the year in which it ended in Until.
5
If a separated or divorced couple later reunited, switch on Separation repaired or Remarried each other, whichever the card shows.
Tip
The years are written on the couple line in abbreviated form, for example “m. 1999” for a marriage and “d. 2016” for a divorce. If they do not appear, click View in the top bar, select the What is drawn tab, and select Couple dates.
Marriage, separation and divorce
These statuses keep the solid line of a marriage and add marks across it. One slash records a separation, and two slashes record a divorce. A repaired separation, or a second marriage to the same partner, adds a backslash across the slashes.
Relationships without marriage
Couples who have not married are joined by a dashed couple line. Most of these statuses share the same line and differ only in the name that the key gives it. Long-term partners is the exception, because it adds a second line to show that the relationship is committed.
Affairs and non-consensual incidents
An extramarital relationship is drawn as a dashed couple line between the two people concerned. Extramarital relationship adds a filled triangle, which is the mark for a secret, and Ended extramarital relationship adds two slashes. Non-consensual incident is an addition of this editor and is not part of the published notation, so it should be explained wherever the chart is used.