I really wouldn't go down that route; it's filled with pain. Changing anything in core code will cripple your development for years - you'd have to redo your changes at every Moodle upgrade. I would also argue that the layout you're after is less accessible for people with screen readers. If you went with my suggestion, you'd save yourself a lot of hassle, and it would be more accessible.
General help
Custom profile field make vertical view
This discussion has been locked so you can no longer reply to it.