When parents separate or divorce, they have to make a lot of decisions.
First, they have to decide on custody and parenting time, which means deciding who the children will live with and how that will work. For example, if the children live with one parent, how often and for how long will they get to see the other parent? If the children live with both parents, will they stay with one parent during the week and the other during the weekend? Or will they spend one week with one parent and one week with the other?
Then parents have to decide how much money one parent has to give the other to help pay for the things their children need. This is called child support.
Parents also have to decide how they will divide all of their property (the things they own together):
Either parent may have a lawyer. The lawyer's job is to help his or her client understand the laws on separation and divorce and to help that person do what he or she thinks is best for the children.
If your parents can’t agree on these things, they might have to get extra help. They might go to a Family Relations Counselor at the court to get help making an agreement, or a judge might make decisions for them.