These halochos are extremely detailed and complex. I know of a case of a divorce where a man stole money from his X-wife and in-laws because he thought that he was entitled to everything. This led to a din-Torah which determined that he owed his X thousands upon thousands of dollars. Divorce is a great tragedy. Anyone faced with such tragedy would be well-advised to have a Rav who is an expert in these halochos as well as a good lawyer.
Ideally a divorcing couple should get halachic and legal guidance and come to a fair compromise on money and custody issues. Law suits are very expensive and leave everyone wounded.