Voluntary divorce deals can be agreed to by the parties with themselves, with attorneys, through mediators and then certified by the court (this gives the parties more control over the deal), or it can be litigated and the judge will tell the parties how it should be done (less control but intermediaries are necessary when tensions are high). Generally, each spouse is entitled to half the assets acquired during the marriage, parental visitation of children, and ongoing costs are split with the wealthier spouse paying the bulk of the child support or even spousal support (alimony). Jurisdictional laws vary widely however, acrimonious divorces substantially reduce the net worth of both parties more often than not.
