Been through it.
Don't believe half the stuff you hear, it's bent towards the woman.
If your in a union they offer free advice used to be An hour or 30 with a solicitor firm that was doing union work, can cover family matters
Some employers offer something similar.
Try and sort what you can before you get to a solicitors door as everything they do will cost you.
Have an end game in place , where you will be at the end of it.
I spent a fortune trying to get my kids, never had a chance on reality, had letters off the school that I was the main parent ect.
Although it was due to her behaviour, I eventually got a divorce on the grounds of not reasonably being expected to live with her,
but she got the kids house ect?
Her contribution was a lamp ,
I kid you not.
Ended up just getting the access to the kids sorted, gave everything up, took all the loans on and was basically skint for the next few years.
In reality I was never going to say sell up and move the kids out of there home , so no piont fighting about it.
I settled for a fixed monthly sum to keep them , got the days I wanted , did far more in reality and did a clean break on everything else. Pension ect.
best thing I ever did,
she kept coming back for more,
No matter , what I did, so just stopped and said I pay what we agreed.
Great when they all got older and she could live off them anymore.
I gave the kids the money instead and told them to keep quite.
I just said that's the way it is get to fk.
Her mates will tell her all sorts of nonsense.
Sit down , lineup all your aims before you get involved with the solicitors.
Remember no matter what happens now it will get better,
If you have kids dont let them use them as a weapon they deserve better than that.
Don't get bitter , it's a waste of time.
I was terrible hated her with a passion for years.
What a waste of energy that was .
Now we sort off are polite to each other, kids are fine and I am as happy with my life as I have e ever been
.Good luck with it all.