Many couples know that if and when they choose to have children, they want to be married. But unmarried families with kids are also becoming increasingly common, both when unmarried couples have children and but skip the wedding, and when parents form unmarried "stepfamilies" by adding a new unmarried partner to the household. This chapter includes:

- How to know if your relationship is ready for children

- Whether there are legal risks for the kids of unmarried parents

- What you need to know if you're deciding whether to get married "for the sake of the children"

- Easy steps you can take to ensure your family gets the same legal protections as married families

- What children think about growing up in an unmarried families

- His, Hers, or Ours? Seven options for the last name dilemma

- Proven strategies for adopting a child as an unmarried couple