Exit Ghost, the theater company owned by Charlie Barber, a successful theater director in New York City, is helming a play that stars his wife, Nicole, a former actress who is very happy to not act anymore. The couple are experiencing marital troubles and see a mediator, who suggests that they each write down what they love about one another, but Nicole is too embarrassed to read hers aloud and they decide to forgo the counseling.
When Nicole is offered a starring role in a television pilot in Los Angeles, she decides to leave the company and temporarily live with her mother in West Hollywood, taking her son Henry. Charlie decides to stay in New York, as the play is moving to Broadway. Despite the couple agreeing to split amicably and forgo lawyers, Nicole (encouraged by her friend) hires Nora Fanshaw, an opportunistic and self-absorbed family lawyer, who tricks Nicole into opening up about how she gradually felt neglected by Charlie, and how he rejects her ideas and desires. Nicole also suggests that Charlie slept with Mary Ann, the stage manager of his theater company. Charlie visits his family, revealing that he has won a MacArthur Fellowship grant, but Nicole declares divorce. Charlie meets with Jay Marotta, a brash and expensive lawyer who urges Charlie to fight dirty, but Charlie returns to New York without hiring him. He receives a phone call from Nora, who warns him to get a lawyer soon or risk losing custody of Henry. Charlie returns to Los Angeles and hires Bert Spitz, an empathetic and retired lawyer who favors a civil and conciliatory approach.
Henry spills to Charlie that Nicole wishes to live in Los Angeles and not move back to New York. A confused Charlie then calls Nicole, angrily interrogating her. Nicole then calls him out, revealing that she hacked his emails and learned of his affair with Mary Ann. Charlie later rents an apartment in Los Angeles, on Bert's counsel, to be closer to his family and strengthen his custody case. Charlie wishes to avoid court, so Bert arranges a meeting with Nora and Nicole. Nora claims that Charlie refused to respect Nicole's wishes to move back to Los Angeles and that Henry would prefer to stay with his mother rather than fly back and forth between coasts. Bert advises Charlie to drop his New York residency altogether, but a frustrated Charlie refuses and fires him.
Using the first payout of his fellowship grant, Charlie hires Jay. The case moves to court, where Nora and Jay argue aggressively on behalf of their clients, leading to a series of character assassinations; Nora highlights Charlie's emotional distance and past infidelity, while Jay exaggerates Nicole's drinking habits and threatens criminal action for hacking Charlie's emails. Meanwhile, Nicole and Charlie remain friendly out of court and share time with Henry, who is increasingly annoyed with the back-and-forth. Disillusioned with the legal process, the pair decide to meet in private. However, their initially friendly discussion turns emotionally vicious; Nicole claims that Charlie has now fully merged with his own selfishness, and Charlie wishes death upon her. He then breaks down in tears and apologizes as Nicole comforts him. Soon after, they agree to relax their demands and reach an equal agreement to finalize the divorce. However, Nora negotiates slightly better terms for Nicole behind her back, causing Nicole to realize her true colors.
A year later, Charlie's play enjoys a successful Broadway run, while Nicole has a new boyfriend and is nominated for an Emmy Award for directing an episode of her television series. Charlie informs Nicole that he has taken a residency at UCLA and will be living in Los Angeles full-time to be closer to Henry. Later, he discovers Henry reading Nicole's list of things she loves about Charlie that she had written down during counseling. Henry asks Charlie to read it aloud to him, and Charlie does so, becoming emotional as Nicole watches from afar. After a Halloween party that evening, Nicole offers to let Charlie take Henry home even though it is her night. Charlie walks out to his car carrying Henry, and they part ways once more.
