The status of a couple is a complicated thing—perhaps more so in modern times than when entering ancestors.
By default, when you enter two people as a couple, the assumption made by Pedigree Forge is that they are married, and will be referred as such in reports. This is because that was the most normal situation in the past. So, a couple are assumed to have married, even if a marriage fact hasn’t yet been added.
If a couple had never married, then select “Never Married” from the “Status” drop-down, next to the spouses name:
Couples that never married are shown on charts with an “x” symbol, rather than an “=” symbol.
In modern times, people are more likely to choose not to marry, and so “Cohabiting” can be selected. They are shown on charts with the usual “=” symbol, which is more polite, but reports will use terms like partner, rather than stating a marital relationship.
If the couple never married, but separated, then use “Former partner”.
The “Placeholder” options is used if you know someone had several children, but you aren’t sure by which spouse they were conceived.
To indicate that any couple separated, or a married couple divorced, add a separation or divorce fact to their facts and events:
The date can then be added, and citations linked, like other facts or events.
Marriage annulments can also be added as a fact/event, but as this is an uncommon type of fact, it has to be added from the “Add Couple Fact” section of the “Facts” menu.
The use of the word “marriage” is a generic umbrella term that covers more than just traditional marriages. Subtypes of “marriage”, for example: “civil partnership”, “common law”, can be selected from the fact editing section:
