My mother and stepfather are divorced. He has remarried and has another family now. Is he still classified as my stepfather?
Karen
Karen,
Thanks for reaching out. In most countries Stepfather and Stepdad aren’t legal titles. It’s more of an identifier for convenience. It’s a fast way to describe a relationship between two people. This is especially helpful for authority figures like school personnel police and day care workers because the title lets them know he’s a part of a your family. In the case of a divorce the Stepfather stops being a member of the family but since it’s not a legal term, you can regard him however you want to.
If you’ve bonded and want to keep him in your life, there’s nothing wrong with calling him your Stepfather. If you and he don’t have a good bond, or you don’t care for him, the only title that would apply would be “mom’s ex.” Be prepared for push back from your mom. She might not like the idea of you continuing to call him your Stepfather -especially if the divorce was a rough one. On the other side of it- you’re Stepfather will probably be touched by your desire to keep him in your life. In the end, there’s no requirement for you to call him anything other than his first name. Ultimately it’s up to your heart to decide.
Good luck.
S. James Wheeler The Stepdad