Divorce & Blended Family Structure
Shows the main family members and relationships in this example.
Divorce & Blended Family Genogram
Family Relationship Lines
Connects couples, parents, children, and siblings in a readable layout.
Generational Context
Places relatives across generations so patterns are easier to see.
Household Details
Leaves room for names, roles, dates, and family notes.
Relationship Status
Supports markers for marriage, separation, loss, conflict, or support.
Case Context
Keeps the visual focused on the family story shown in the hero image.
Review Ready View
Helps teams discuss the same structure before adding deeper notes.
Editable Family Map
Can be extended as new relatives or relationship details are added.
Map previous and current partnerships, children, households, and family relationships using this genogram on Creately Clinical.
About the Divorce & Blended Family Genogram
This divorce and blended family genogram brings previous partnerships, current households, children, and important family relationships into one clear view, helping families and professionals understand how the wider system works together.
The example maps eight people. John and Elena’s previous marriage is recorded as divorced, while Elena and Paul are shown in a cohabiting relationship. Paul’s 2005 divorce from Jennifer remains visible, and Jennifer’s current marriage to David forms the second household.
Two colored frames organize the households. Elena, Paul, Lucas, and Maya appear in one household group, while Jennifer, David, and Toby appear in the other. Relationship lines add emotional context, and a note records that Maya spends time with Jennifer occasionally through scheduled visits.
- Shows previous and current partnerships in one family map
- Organizes eight people into two household groups
- Keeps Lucas, Maya, and Toby visible within the blended-family structure
- Adds relationship and contact information that can support shared understanding and planning
Who Should Use This Example?
This divorce and blended family genogram can help professionals, learners, and families organize changing relationships and household arrangements in one clear view.
Therapists and counselors
Explore previous partnerships, current households, family roles, and emotional relationships during sessions.
Social workers and care teams
Document household membership, caregiving routines, contact arrangements, and support needs for coordinated review.
Mediators and family-support professionals
Create a shared visual for child-centered conversations about co-parenting and family transitions.
Individuals and families
Map the wider blended-family system and update arrangements together as circumstances change.
Symbols Used in This Genogram
Distinct partner lines preserve each relationship history, while household frames, emotional connections, and notes add practical family context.
Square
Male family member
Circle
Female family member
Marriage line
Connects currently married partners
Divorce line and slashes
Records a dissolved marriage while preserving the family history
Cohabitation line
Connects partners who live together without being married
Parent–child connection
Connects a child to the relevant parent or parental union
Colored household frame
Groups people who are shown as part of the same household
Emotional relationship line
Records the type of emotional connection selected for two people
Contact note
Adds information about visits, caregiving routines, or another relevant family arrangement
When to Use This Example
Use this example when a family, therapist, counselor, mediator, social worker, or care team needs a shared view of a blended family’s relationships and living arrangements.
- Counseling and family-therapy intake or assessment.
- Co-parenting and caregiving conversations.
- Social-work case review and coordinated family support.
- Education and training on divorce, remarriage, cohabitation, and blended families.
How to Customize This Genogram
- 1
Add previous and current partnerships
Map each relevant marriage, divorce, cohabitation, or committed relationship. Include dates when they help readers understand the sequence of family changes.
- 2
Connect each child to the relevant family relationships
Add biological, adoptive, foster, and step relationships using the appropriate parent–child notation. Place half-siblings under the parent they share so the family structure remains clear.
- 3
Group households and add practical arrangements
Use frames to show who currently lives together. Add concise notes for schedules, caregiving responsibilities, school routines, or regular contact between households when these details support the conversation.
- 4
Map relationships and review together
Add close, supportive, distant, conflict, or other emotional relationship types that participants identify as meaningful. Review the completed map collaboratively and use it to recognize connections, coordinate support, and plan next steps.
Creately Clinical Capabilities for This Example
Creately Clinical supports blended-family mapping with structured family relationships, therapy-focused fields, collaborative editing, and report-ready outputs. For this example, the Base and Family Therapy field packs help teams combine household structure with relationship and caregiving context.
- Relevant field packs: Base and Family Therapy fields for partnership dates, household details, emotional bonds, communication, family roles, coping strategies, and goals.
- Best-fit view mode: Standard genogram view for family structure, with relationship-focused views available when emotional dynamics need emphasis.
- Clinical notation: Dedicated relationship types for marriage, divorce, cohabitation, parent–child connections, and emotional dynamics.
- AI support: Generate a starting genogram from intake notes or a family summary and refine it collaboratively.
- Collaboration and reporting: Use role-based sharing, real-time editing, auto-save, and PDF or DOCX exports for case review and handoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I show a divorce and a new partnership?
Keep the previous union in the genogram and change its relationship type to divorce, then add the new partner and select the appropriate current relationship type. This preserves the family history while making the present structure easy to understand.
Can I show who lives in each household?
Yes. Use labeled or colored frames to group household members. The example uses two frames so readers can see the current living arrangements without losing the connections between households.
How do I represent stepchildren and half-siblings?
Creately supports distinct biological, adoptive, foster, and step parent–child relationships. Half-siblings can be connected through their shared parent, allowing both family branches to remain visible.
How does Creately support blended-family mapping?
Creately provides dedicated relationship types for marriage, divorce, cohabitation, parent–child connections, and emotional dynamics. Base and Family Therapy fields can add dates, household context, support information, and notes, while collaborative editing helps families and authorized professionals refine the map together.
Start in Creately Clinical, then deepen the blended-family view
Edit the genogram, replace the example family with the people and relationships relevant to your situation, and organize current household groups with frames. Add contact routines and meaningful relationship lines, then use the completed genogram to support clearer conversations and coordinated family planning.