This report, distributed by Land Legal Group, examines state data showing that California divorce, legal separation, and annulment filings fell to their lowest level in at least two decades during the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to the Judicial Council of California's 2026 Court Statistics Report, finalized in December 2025.
The Judicial Council's report found 107,146 marital filings statewide in fiscal year 2024-25, a total that surpasses the previous 20-year low of 108,432 filings recorded in fiscal year 2019-20, during the pandemic. Filings peaked at nearly 158,000 in fiscal year 2005-06, according to the same reporting series.
Statewide marital filings have declined by roughly 31 percent since fiscal year 2004-05, when 154,906 divorce, legal separation, and annulment cases were filed in California courts, based on the Judicial Council's historical caseload data.
Marital filings accounted for about 34.5 percent of all family law filings statewide in fiscal year 2024-25, a share that has grown slightly in recent years even as the overall volume of filings has continued to decline, according to the same report.
California is a no-fault divorce state, meaning neither spouse must prove wrongdoing in order to file. State law generally requires that at least one spouse have lived in California for six months, and in the county where the case is filed for three months, before a divorce petition can be submitted.
A California divorce cannot be finalized in less than six months from the date the respondent is formally served, regardless of how quickly both spouses reach agreement on the terms of their separation.
Under California Family Code Section 4336, a marriage lasting 10 years or longer is generally treated as a long-term marriage for support purposes, meaning a court retains jurisdiction over spousal support indefinitely rather than setting a fixed end date. In shorter marriages, courts commonly use half the length of the marriage as a general guideline for how long support should last, though that guideline does not apply automatically once a marriage passes the 10-year mark.
Property acquired during a marriage in California is generally treated as community property and divided equally between spouses, though courts have discretion in how that division is structured when other assets can be used to offset the value of a particular item, such as a family home.
California law also requires both spouses to complete a mandatory financial disclosure process before a divorce can be finalized, providing a full accounting of income, assets, and debts to the other party. Courts can delay finalizing a divorce if this disclosure requirement has not been met.
In cases involving children, California courts apply a best-interest-of-the-child standard when determining custody and parenting time, weighing factors such as each parent's ability to provide a stable environment and, depending on the child's age and maturity, the child's own preferences.
The filing data referenced in this release was compiled by the Judicial Council of California and published in its 2026 Court Statistics Report, covering fiscal years 2015-16 through 2024-25. The figures are presented here for general public awareness and reflect the most recent statewide data available at the time of this report.
Land Legal Group is a Los Angeles family law firm representing clients in divorce cases throughout Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Founded by Joseph Land in 2016, the firm also maintains an office in Oxnard, California.
###
For more information about Land Legal Group, contact the company here:
Land Legal Group
Joseph Land
+13105523500
joseph@landlegalgroup.com
