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.