California's claim to fame when it comes to weddings is the diversity of scenic venues and wedding themes.  When it comes to divorce, however, California has been a leader!  Divorce laws were generally more liberal in the West than in the rest of the country—California's first divorce law in 1851 contained the following grounds for divorce: impotence, adultery, extreme cruelty, desertion or neglect, habitual intemperance, fraud, and conviction for a felony. In practice, the courts extended the definitions of these terms. California's divorce rate was the highest in the world during the gold rush. The plaintiffs were invariably women, whose scarcity afforded them a wide variety of options.

California launched a legal revolution when the state enacted the first no-fault divorce law (The Family Law Act, 1970,) which limited the grounds for divorce to irreconcilable differences and incurable insanity. The law made it possible for anyone to get a divorce, whether the spouse wanted it or not. Today, domestic partners (same-sex, or over age 62 receiving Social Security,) may also dissolve their relationships through the legal process.

It's hard to put a dollar amount on the emotional costs of a wedding or divorce in California though it's much easier to measure the money spent on a wedding ceremony. An average wedding costs about $25,000, while an average contested divorce legal fees costs between $15,000-25,000.

The state of California is not a leader in percentage of marriages or divorces nationally, though specific counties such as Orange rank among the highest in the nation for divorce. Around 75% of marriages end in divorce in California—first time marriages have a 50-50 chance of ending in divorce, while the divorce rate is much higher for the 2nd & 3rd marriages.

If you're concerned about the money aspects of marriage, suggestions to curb expenses include: replace floral centerpieces with cheaper options at guest tables; use a DJ instead of a band; skip the printed menus and programs; forget chair covers and skip the favors. People tend to leave the party favors at the table when they go home.  To plan ahead for saving money on a divorce, use  a prenuptial contract when getting married. Of course, that may keep the wedding from ever taking place, so use caution.

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