"The downward trend in marriage is long term. However, it has no doubt been helped by the current economic climate, which is reflected in the cases we are seeing where couples are seeking to renegotiate the financial terms of their divorce settlements," Barrister Joanna Grandfield said.

Weddings in England and Wales marriages are currently at the lowest level since records began, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

Moreover, the figures show that average groom is waits longer to marry – he is almost 37 years old and his bride nearly 34, the Guardian reported.

In 2007, only 231,450 people got married in England and Wales, a decrease of 3.3 per cent on 2006, and a drop of 34 per cent since 1981. This represents the lowest annual number of marriages registered since 1895, when 228,204 people said "I do".

"The declining figures are no doubt partly due to the perception that wives do really rather too well in divorce, and that it is a long and stressful procedure," Grandfield was quoted as saying by the Guardian.