My dark moments

I was married for 7 years (recently divorced),my ex husband was once married before we met.I noticed he was petty from the very beginning(he will kick my flip flops or shoes at the entrance of the door because he didn't want anything there or he will throw my hair brush on the floor because we were running late for an event).I ignored all that because I loved him...little did I know that I was married to a man who didn't give a toss about how I felt.Fast foward we had a son who passed shortly after he was born and later had two other sons.He told me from the very beginning he's not the kind of man who shows affection so I shouldn't expect any kind of affection from him but I noticed he was so into other girls and would even ask them out on dinner dates,tell them.how pretty they are and how much he'd lobe to get to know them.I never got any compliment from him.He told me he only wanted children and that was it.He's 54 years old and I'm 40 years old.He later said he can't marry a woman who can't trust him and filed for a divorce asking for custody of our sons(7 and 4).I live in his house(his mother's house) and I had to live there throughout the case in court because I didn't have enough money to rent a place and he stopped assisting to care for the boys  3 years so I was basically doing everything for them apart from paying their school fees.Im a journalist(news anchor and a reporter) a full time employee but he was not.On the 27th of august 2021,the marriage was dissolved and I lost custody of my sons because the judge says the children had lived with us in the same house and are more familiar with the place and because I didn't have a place of my own,she couldn't give the boys to me.The judge also mentioned that it'll be a burden for a single mum to take care of two boys all alone.Im so attached to my boys.The man cannot take care of them.He barely stays at home.Ive been treated very unfairly and I've asked a few friends to help me raise money to appeal the case.

Any lawyers on here can share their thoughts with me.

Thanks