Hi Craig,
I'm so sorry to hear this. I've been through one, but it didn't involve kids so it was easy financially, but hard emotionally. We had been together five years. We always stayed friends.
My husband's divorced and we still deal from time to time with his dragon lady, and my boss is going through one, so I've been talking to him. In fact, I've been through like four male friends and their divorces.
I don't think you need counseling as much as you need friends to stand by you and be there for you. I've had a therapist for years and honestly, therapists are good for some things, but friends are better for others.
My best advice is to try and keep it as amicable as possible, at least for the kids' sake. I see and hear so many hateful things go on and it's all over money or stupid stuff. This isn't to say you shouldn't stand your ground because I don't agree with many of the laws that the woman should get most everything while the man is left destitute and screw him. I just don't like that. Sorry, I've seen too many woman having a ball with the kids while they take their vacations, spa trips, shopping and all, then go and whine to the husband about how they're so destitute and need more money. That's not right. I never asked for anything from my ex-husband, and in doing that, he gave me what he wanted which was more than I expected.
If you'd ever like to hear things from a woman's side, I'm here if you want to talk. My e-mail is
chaeya@yahoo.com.