DAILY CUSTODY TIP: Meet the Neighbors -- Not your neighbors, Your ex's neighbors.

You might be surprised to learn how many family secrets are shared by the neighbors. Not just your neighbors, but your ex-wife’s or ex-husband’s neighbors. If you and the other parent of your children live more than a few blocks away from each other, you’re not likely to know his or her neighbors very well. But getting to know them can have many benefits if you’re in a custody fight, or if you’re anticipating one in the future.

For one thing, your ex’s neighbors may know things about your ex’s household: Who comes and goes at what time of day or night; when the children are being supervised or left alone; the presence of police or fire officials on the property. Imagine learning from one of your ex’s neighborhoods that your son ran to the neighbor’s house for safety one night after being beaten by your ex’s new boyfriend.

Getting to know the neighbors can also provide tactical benefits if it is ever necessary to round up witnesses for a child custody trial. The neighbors would presumably be less likely to testify against a parent who took the initiative to introduce himself or herself to them, despite not living in the same neighborhood. If nothing else, your ex’s neighbors would be forced to admit that you were a dedicated parent who cared enough about his/her children to meet the other parents in your ex’s neighborhood.

Has anybody already put this advice to work? I’d be interested in hearing from anybody who has gotten to know the neighbors in the other parent’s neighborhood.