The face of the American family is changing. Many families are being started and grown through adoption, surrogacy or using a sperm donor. Regardless of a biological connection, two people still consider themselves parents and work to build a family. Under these arrangements, biological parents are typically absolved of any financial responsibility to the children because they aren’t legally — or practically — considered parents.

When couples reach the decision to divorce, financial matters might be among the first things each spouse considers. Couples typically accumulate assets together during the course of their marriage and must try to untangle them during the course of divorce. As each spouse tries to figure out his or her post-divorce needs, there may be questions about exactly how to formulate the financial settlement.