Dealing with families, whether the parents are married or common-law, with children or without children, can be dramatic.  Some parents want control, others share happily. 

It never ceases to surprise me of the tactics and  games that people will play.  The game where someone supposedly “wins” and, well someone does not. 
There are themes which become evident very quickly. The attempt to keep the kids, even if the person has never been the primary caregiver. Why? to save money; to “win”. Parents often forget the best interests of the children, not intentionally, just incidentally as they emotionally deal with the breakdown of the relationship. Couples forget what brought them together but live in the moments surrounding the breakup.