Relationship Type and Relationship Status in FTM 2024

Learn about Relationship Type and Relationship Status in Family Tree Maker 2024. Understand how to define spouse, partner, or other connections, and track statuses like married, divorced, or widowed to keep your family tree accurate.

Sep 29, 2025 - 11:09
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Relationship Type and Relationship Status in FTM 2024

The purpose of Family Tree Maker (FTM) 2024 is to assist genealogists and family historians in accurately and clearly recording their familial ties. 
The ability to build and manage relationship kinds and statuses is one of the key components that contribute to this software's power. These resources guarantee that family trees include the social, marital, and adoptive relationships that influence family history in addition to bloodlines.

Understanding Relationship Types in FTM 2024

A relationship type in Family Tree Maker describes the type of link between two individuals.  This enables users to display linkages in the family tree that are both biological and non-biological.  Among the most prevalent kinds of relationships are:

⦁  Natural parent-child ties are represented by biological relationships.
⦁  Adopted – Indicates when a child is legally adopted into a family.
⦁  Step: Indicates remarriage partnerships in which one parent is not biological.
⦁  Foster: Used to indicate short-term or foster care relationships.
⦁ Guardian: Stands for legal guardianship in the absence of adoption.
⦁ Unknown: This option keeps the tree adaptable in situations where the precise relationship is unknown.

Users can create more accurate records that mirror actual family structures by carefully selecting the appropriate connection type.

Relationship Status in FTM 2024

Relationship status focuses on the state of a relationship at the moment, whereas relationship types reflect the type of relationship that exists. This is especially crucial when it comes to recording unions, partnerships, and weddings. Among the statuses are the following:

⦁  Married: For legally sanctioned unions.
⦁  Divorced: When a marriage has officially dissolved, it is said to be divorced.
⦁  Separated: When a couple is not living together but is not legally divorced, they are said to be separated.
⦁  Engaged: Couples who are officially engaged but not yet married are referred to as engaged.
⦁  Unmarried Partners: For couples who cohabitate but are not legally married.
⦁  Spouse: A widow is a person who has lost a spouse.
Genealogists can gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of their family history by accurately documenting statuses.

Why Relationship Types and Statuses Matter

Given the diversity and complexity of families today, it is imperative to comprehend and use these tools. Traditional nuclear families are not the only ones that might be the subject of genealogical inquiry. 
By documenting foster, step, and adoptive relationships, FTM 2024 makes sure that each person's story is respected. 
Similar to this, monitoring relationship statuses offers important historical context, including time spent apart, remarriage following widowhood, or extramarital partnerships.
This comprehensive data provides researchers with hints that can direct their subsequent searches, including the discovery of marriage certificates, adoption documents, and court documents. Additionally, it adds authenticity and inclusivity to family trees.

Managing Relationships in Family Tree Maker 2024

To create, modify, or update relationship data, FTM 2024 provides user-friendly tools.  People can:
⦁  Choose a child's parents and designate the appropriate connection type.
⦁  For those who remarried or partnered again, note many relationships.
⦁  As events in life change, update the state of your connection.
⦁  To effectively illustrate intricate family relationships, use charts and reports.
Because of this adaptability, genealogists can faithfully depict even the most complex family histories.

Final Thoughts

Every family connection is accurately documented because to Family Tree Maker 2024's extensive options for recording relationship types and statuses.  Effective use of these choices enables genealogists to create trees that capture the complexity and depth of actual family histories, going beyond mere lineage.

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Emily Miller RootsMagic is a powerful genealogy software available in two versions. In this blog, you’ll discover the key features of each in the RootsMagic Free vs Paid comparison, which helps you choose the one that best fits your family history needs. https://familytreesupport.com/rootsmagic-free-vs-paid/
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