Household roles

Every person in a household has a role that defines their position in the family unit. Roles help you understand family relationships and communicate appropriately.

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Available roles

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Head of household

The head of household (HOH) is the primary contact for the client relationship.

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Characteristics

• Required — Every household must have exactly one HOH
• Default contact — Emails and communications default to the HOH
• Cannot be removed — Must reassign HOH before removing the person

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Common scenarios

• Single client → They are the HOH
• Married couple → Either spouse can be HOH (typically the primary contact)
• Trust → Primary trustee is typically HOH

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Change head of household

The previous HOH automatically becomes “Other adult” or their appropriate role.

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Partner

The partner role is for a spouse or life partner.

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Characteristics

• Optional — A household can have 0 or 1 partner
• Equal importance — Often included in communications alongside HOH
• Household name — Typically included in the household name (e.g., “John & Jane Smith”)

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Common scenarios

• Married couples → One spouse is HOH, one is Partner
• Domestic partners → Same structure as married
• Engaged couples → Partner can be added before marriage

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Add a partner

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Dependent child

Minor children or young adult dependents of the household.

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Characteristics

• No limit — A household can have multiple dependent children
• Date of birth important — Track birthdays and ages
• Limited contact — Usually don’t receive direct communications

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Common scenarios

• Minor children living at home
• College students still dependent
• Young adults on parents’ accounts

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When to track children

Track dependent children when:

• They’re beneficiaries of accounts or trusts
• They have custodial accounts (UTMA/UGMA)
• You need to remember birthdays
• They’re relevant to financial planning

You don’t need to track every child—only those relevant to the financial relationship.

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Other adult

Adult family members who aren’t the HOH, partner, or dependents.

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Characteristics

• No limit — Multiple other adults allowed
• Flexible use — Covers various family situations
• Separate contact info — Each has their own email/phone

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Common scenarios

• Adult children (not dependent)
• Parents living with the client
• Siblings involved in family finances
• In-laws with relevant involvement

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Other dependent

Adults who are dependents of the household.

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Characteristics

• No limit — Multiple other dependents allowed
• Different from children — Adult dependents, not minors
• May have special needs — Often involves care planning

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Common scenarios

• Elderly parent being cared for
• Adult child with special needs
• Family member with disability
• Live-in relative requiring support

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Roles and communication

Different roles receive different communications: You can always override defaults and send to specific people.

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Roles and workflows

Workflows can reference household members by role:

• Send birthday card to household.partner
• Notify when household.head_of_household has a meeting
• Create task for any household.dependents turning 18

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Best practices

1. Be accurate — Assign roles that reflect actual relationships
2. Update when things change — Marriages, divorces, deaths
3. Don’t over-track — Only add people relevant to the relationship
4. Respect privacy — Only collect information you need
5. Note special situations — Use notes for complex family dynamics

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Next steps