SACRAMENTO-

Marriage is such a beautiful thing but, unfortunately, 60 percent of marriages in California will end up in divorce court, where the process could could take months if not years to finalize.

That’s why Sacramento Judge James Mize created speed dating’s opposite – speedy divorce.

The program aims to have couples divorced finalized in one day.

“I had one gentleman say, after about two or three years in the process, I asked him how he liked the process, he said he thought it was a miracle,” said Mize.

It is a miracle because even couples who agree on how to split the dog, house and kids often get caught up in countless forms and still not divorced.

“They would say, ‘One more thing, are we divorced yet?’ and I would say to them, ‘You are not divorced yet.’ I would start listing the 10 things they have to do. They would walk away shaking their heads knowing there is no way they could possibly do that,” said Mize.

With no extra funding, 80 volunteer attorneys, law students and staff are making speedy divorce possible.

The process mainly helps those who wouldn’t otherwise have an attorney.

“It helps clear our calendar because we do not have files that are sitting around for years and processed by our clerks,” said Mize.

For now only 10 couples will be seen by appointment twice a month, but judge Mize hopes to expand that in the future.

Couples still have to pay for court fees.

For more information log into www.saccourt.ca.gov.