The family life cycle is a series of stages through which a family may pass over time. Typical stages in family development include the periods of the single young adult, the newly married couple, the family with young children, the family with adolescents, launching the children and moving on, and the family in later life. The family life cycle emphasizes the effects of marriage, divorce, births, and deaths on families, as well as changes in income, expenses, and assets.

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