Insert an A (Acquisition), U (Use) or M (Management) in the appropriate circle or square. Using my three-dimensional money paradigm, identify which dimension is dominant. Now that you have the basics of the genogram, the key is to designate the dominant money relationships. George then married Janet and they adopted Emily. You can add descriptors and notes but I recommend that you keep them to a minimum so that the Money Genogram is easily readable.ДЇigure 2 shows a genogram for Sherry and George, a married couple who had two children (Sam and Cynthia) and then divorced. See Figure 1 for a look at the basic symbols used in a Money Genogram. (For example, when planning the estate of a married couple wherein one or both spouses have children by prior marriages, it is important to take into consideration the possibility that the children may also inherit through the prior spouse.) Multi-generational relationships are easier to grasp when illustrated in graphic form and lines of potential inheritance become more obvious, which is particularly important in a family that includes children by prior relationships. He has found that a genogram provides the advantages of the traditional family tree, while at the same time making it far easier to trace lines of potential inheritance and the legal relationships among the parties. Jon Gallo, my husband and the author of this monthвЂ™s estate planning column, uses genograms extensively in his practice.

Money Genograms are instructive and easy to use once you understand the symbols. A Money Genogram displays information about money relationships in a manner that reveals family patterns. I have modified some of the symbols commonly used in genograms to allow us to represent money relationships. A genogram differs from the traditional family tree through the use of symbols that distinguish not only the sex of the individuals but also the various family relationships that might be encountered, such as divorced, separated, stepchild or adopted. The tool is a specialized form of family tree which I call a Money Genogram. I use it in a clinical setting to help patients understand the money messages they received from their parents, and the money messages they are sending their children.

This column explores a tool that you and your clients can use to trace money personalities through several generations. My most recent Money and Soul column (May 2001) introduced a three-dimensional model of money relationships, which examines each personвЂ™s unique relationship with money in three separate dimensions: acquisition, use and management. Journal of Financial Planning, September 2001 Using Genograms to Help Understand Relationships with Money

Genogram definition