How that I hooked you with the catchy title...
How do you handle two constituents that marry.
-Do you merge the records?
-Do you keep them seperate and make associations to each spouses record?
We merge the records as well, unless otherwise specifically specified by the constituent(s).
When we encounter a divorce, we have very strict guidelines as to how the records are handled. It depends on a variety of criteria, especially because we are a consortium. I don't think we run into that many problems though, considering the possibilities.
Generally, the history remains with one of the spouses only - we do not usually split the information. It is one of our strict protocols that a subscription must go to one person and cannot be split between the two. We require the patron to let us know their preferences in writing. Typically, one spouse has the greater involvement with the Center and per their divorce settlement, one spouse gains all history and the other loses all history just like any other asset. We would of course create a record for the other spouse if their involvement continued with the Center with some detailed CSI or Research notes.
Sometimes we let divorced spouses keep some of the benefits, but mostly on the Development end, not the ticketing side. An example would be Board members and their spouses who have both been highly involved with the Center - we will usually let the one not receiving the history continue to have access to some of the perks the couple obtained together.