You'll want to make a record of events as they occur for reference by yourself and others. You should make a note
in your logbook for every telephone conversation you have with you ex-wife, any information that you find out or
are made aware of. Record your day-to-day activities in brief entries. If you have children, make note of when
you have them, what you did and where you went. Make sure you write in the time and date of every entry, even
if the entry is just a phone number or brief note.
This logbook may serve as proof to back up claims you make, and it may also be entered into evidence, so keep
the notes factual and avoid any sarcasm or offensive remarks. It's entirely possible that opposing counsel will
get a copy sooner or later, so don't put anything in there that could be used against you, or that you wouldn't
want your ex-wife or a judge to read.
Keep the logbook in a secure place, preferably with you whenever possible. It's also not a bad idea to make a
copy of it from time to time and forward the copies to your attorney for safe keeping. If your home were to burn
down with the logbook in it, or your car were to be stolen with your logbook inside, you'd want to have a copy
you could recover.
Try to make notes concerning important events or information as complete as possible, include all the detail you
can. Remember the old saying "The palest ink is better than the strongest memory." A minor note may turn
out to be the key to something important, so if in doubt, write it down.
If you fill a logbook, make a note at the end of the last entry indicating that the next logbook is number 2, or
3 or whatever. Make all your entries in pen, not pencil. The reason for this is obvious- you don't want to be
accused of altering an entry to suit your case.
Take your logbook with you to your deposition, and to your ex-wife's deposition. It can be a valuable reference that
you can use to find the holes in her story with, and to bolster yours at the same time. Keeping an orderly logbook
looks good- it makes you look like a careful, methodical person who keeps reliable records.
