Familienstandes

Familienstand is the German term for civil status in many German-speaking countries, commonly referred to as Familienstand rather than Familienstandes. It denotes a person’s legally recognized position in relation to marriage, partnership, and family life, and is recorded by civil registries. The status is used on official documents and forms to indicate whether a person is single, married, widowed, or divorced, and, in some systems, whether they are in a registered partnership. It can influence legal rights and duties in areas such as taxation, social security, housing, and inheritance.

Typical categories include ledig (single), verheiratet (married), verwitwet (widowed), and geschieden (divorced). In several jurisdictions there is also a category for persons in a registered partnership (eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft), reflecting formal cohabitation arrangements that may be treated equivalently to marriage for some purposes. The exact terminology and available statuses vary by country and over time.

Administration and use: The Familienstand is maintained by civil registry offices (Standesamt in Germany; Standesamt or equivalent in Austria and Switzerland) and is updated when life events occur, such as marriage, civil partnership, divorce, or death. Certificates of civil status (for example, Eheurkunde for marriage, Ledigkeitsbescheinigung for single status, and Personenstandsbescheinigung) can be issued for administrative or legal purposes.

In practice, the Familienstand functions as a data field in government records and private forms, with changes recorded promptly to reflect a person’s current status while respecting privacy and data-protection rules.