I wrote a fairly long reply, but it got zapped into the ether.
I don't know about the intricacies of Family Law, never having been divorced, but have seen enough around me to know that a good or bad lawyer can make all the difference.
If you want change, you need to become pro-active. There are men's websites around who are a bit more militant and focussed than the casual chatter going on here.
If you've been shafted, try and live with it, earn money on the quiet (there are many possibilities for a man - I cannot remember paying any of the various tradesmen here by cheque, all cash), be a good Dad for your children, if you get to see them regularly, and bury any bitterness in a deep deep hole somewhere in the backyard. Bitterness only hurts you, no-one else.
Cultivate kindness to yourself as well as the world around you. Don't belt your kids, as someone on this site suggests. You don't get a good dog by belting it, same with humans, even more so. It's pretty macho here and explains some of the problems people are having!
Other than that, be optimistic and joyful, stick to good male virtues like humour, good company and the odd beer - dont let the b.....ds grind you down, wanted to say it in Latin, but can't remember.
