Jungermannia doellingeri has alternatively been aligned with Harpanthaceae, Lophocoleaceae, Plagiochilaceae, and Lophoziaceae. Currently it is placed in a monogeneric family Chonecoleaceae of Jungermanniales suborder Lophocoleineae, as Chonecolea doellingeri.
Maximum likelihood analyses of a chloroplast DNA rbcL-rps4 dataset of jungermannialean liver-worts suggest a position of Chonecolea in Jungermanniales suborder Cephaloziineae and a synonymy of Chonecoleaceae and Cephaloziellaceae. The monospecific genus Rivulariella is not affiliated with Jungermanniaceae but related to Scapaniaceae s.l. (including Anastrophyllaceae and Lophoziaceae).