What most of us know — or think we know — is that the traditional family structure is shifting. Cohabitation, delayed adulthood, boomerang children, single parents, blended families and multi-generational households are becoming more the norm. "Traditional family" is now essentially an outdated term.

Understanding these changes and their impact on employee benefits is crucial for advisors and their employer clients. There are several factors driving these trends:

• Almost 45 percent of all births (for those under age 44) are now outside marriage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• The number of American adults who have never been married is at an historic high, and more adults are marrying later in life or cohabitating instead of marrying, according to the Pew Research Center.

• Almost one-quarter of young adults (ages 18-34) have "boomeranged" back home due to economic conditions, according to the Pew Research Center.

Because the worksite is a primary means for workers to gain access to insurance, we're already seeing changes to employer-based insurance that reflect these shifts. For example, mandated health insurance covering children up to age 26 and domestic partner coverage are now both commonplace.