Planning Tree

Relationships Shape Your Legacy

The Planning Tree is the heart of Rempla -- a living visualization of your family, your plans, and the people who matter most. Every connection tells a story.

Overview

Person-to-Person Relationships

Relationships are defined between two people, not just from you to everyone. This mirrors how families actually work -- and the system is smart enough to connect the dots.

Robert → has David as Son

David → has Olivia as Daughter

Computed: Olivia is David's Daughter, David is Robert's Son -- therefore Olivia is Robert's Granddaughter.

How It Works

Direct vs. Computed

Two ways to define relationships. Direct always wins when both exist.

Direct

You Define It

You explicitly tell the system how someone relates to you. "Karen is my Daughter." Simple, clear, and always takes precedence.

Computed

The System Figures It Out

You define that Olivia is David's Daughter, and David is your Son. The system walks the chain and determines Olivia is your Granddaughter -- no extra input needed.

Relationship Types

Family & Extended Network

Relationships are organized into three groups. Standard types cover most families. A custom "Other" option handles everything else.

Immediate Family

Type	Level	Notes
Wife / Husband	Same	One spouse per person. Diamond union indicator.
Son / Daughter	+1	Direct children of the account holder
Brother / Sister	Same	Siblings of the account holder

Extended Family

Type	Level	Connects To
Grandson / Granddaughter	+2	Child of your Son or Daughter
Son-in-Law / Daughter-in-Law	+1	Spouse of your Son or Daughter
Nephew / Niece	+1	Child of your Brother or Sister
Cousin	Same	Child of your Brother or Sister

Key rule: Extended family relationships are saved between the new person and their immediate family connection -- not the account holder. The tree computes the label relative to you automatically.

Other (Extended Planning Network)

Type	Notes
Friend	Non-family connections
Colleague	Professional connections
Godchild	Spiritual family connection
Other (custom)	User enters their own label. Not connected to the family tree.

Adding Members

Smart Connection Prompts

When adding a new person to the tree, the system prompts you to connect them to the right family member based on the relationship you choose.

When Adding Extended Family

You Select	Prompt	Shows
Grandson	"Child of"	Your sons and daughters
Son-in-Law	"Child of"	Your sons and daughters (without a spouse)
Nephew / Niece	"Child of"	Your brothers and sisters

When Adding Immediate Family

You Select	Prompt	Shows
Son / Daughter	"Parent of"	Unconnected grandchildren
Brother / Sister	"Parent of"	Unconnected nephews and nieces

All connection prompts are optional. The tree works with or without them -- connections just make the visualization more complete.

Important Dates

Relationship-Aware Occasions

Each relationship type has its own set of relevant date types. When you add a family member, the system suggests the dates that matter for that relationship.

Date Types

Date Type	Suggested For
Birthday	Everyone
Anniversary	Spouse
Wedding	Spouse, children, siblings, in-laws
Baptism	Children, grandchildren, godchild, niblings
Graduation	Children, grandchildren, godchild, niblings
Retirement	Spouse, siblings
Ordination	Available for all (special occasions)

Users can always add custom dates beyond the suggestions. The system provides a blank date row by default for any occasion not in the list.

Under the Hood

Data Model

Eight entities power the Planning Tree.

Person Any individual in the system, whether or not they have an account.	Relationship A directional link between two Persons with a type and optional custom label.	RelationshipType Defines the nature, generational level, and sort priority of a connection.
RelationshipTypeGroup Groups types for UI display: Immediate Family, Extended Family, Other.	DateType Occasion types: Birthday, Anniversary, Wedding, Baptism, Graduation, etc.	RelationshipTypeDateType Links which date types are relevant for each relationship type.
RemembrancePlanRole Functional role: GiftRecipient, PlanProtector, or DigitalLegacyBeneficiary.	EstateDesignation Legal role: Executor, Trustee, TrustBeneficiary, BequestRecipient, Fiduciary.

Rules

Key Decisions

Design principles guiding how the Planning Tree works.

One spouse per person Wife/Husband options are hidden once a spouse exists on the tree.	No ancestors at launch Father, Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother are not available when adding members. Focus is on people you plan for.
Extended connects to immediate Grandchildren are linked to their parent (your child), not to you. The tree computes your relationship from the chain.	Custom relationships are unconnected The "Other" option creates a custom label but places the person in the Extended Planning Network -- not the family tree.
Direct labels win If you explicitly label someone "Grandson" and the system also computes "Grandson" from the chain, the direct label takes precedence.	Dates are relationship-aware Date suggestions adapt to the relationship. A spouse gets Anniversary; a grandchild gets Baptism and Graduation. Custom dates are always available.