Mississippi 2019-2020 Hunting Seasons
All posts by BowTieLawyer
Happy Thanksgiving!
Life is About who you KNOW…
The cliche’ is good lawyers know the law and great lawyers know the Judge.
This is not to suggest knowing the Judge results in an unfair advantage or that the fix was in, but rather you know what to focus on in a trial or hearing and how to prepare the case.
But Judges are just a piece of the Courthouse puzzle. There are behind the scenes heroes that all too often do not get recognized. Court clerks, administrators, court reporters, and bailiffs all contribute to creating a place where people can be helped and justice served.
In fact, in a lot of instances these person are on the front lines of justice. Pointing people in the direction they need to go for help or guiding them to the extent allowed, which isn’t much.
These people also see us (lawyers) at our worst. Litigants being out-lawyered, lawyers treating court staff as if they work for them personally and lawyers blaming others when something went wrong.
Through it all, they keep a smile on their face, a song in their heart and that jerk lawyer on their short list…
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and is grateful for the court staff and their seeming never-ending patience!
Happy halloween- the “Forgotten” Holiday
Halloween is a fun excuse to dress up, eat candy and be a kid again.
However, you may only get this chance if your divorce papers allow it! Halloween is not a “real” holiday, and while admittedly it has a relatively short shelf-life on being magical, it’s still a fun experience.
Halloween is not in the Court’s standard schedule and not a Federal Holiday. So, if you want it you better address it and/or ask the Court for the day or that it be alternated between the parents.
Don’t only count on the other parent to be reasonable. Sometimes they are NOT!
Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody lawyer in Mississippi and reminds you to consult the calendar when devising a custody schedule.
Marriage is a Fundamental Right, Divorce is NOT.
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that you have a fundamental right to marry the person of your choosing. See Loving v. Virginia, Zablocki v. Redhail, and Obergefell v. Hodges.
This is especially true in Mississippi, but only with regard to the right to marry.
Mississippi is 1 of only 2 states in the US that does not recognize a married person’s absolute right to a divorce. South Dakota is the other state. This means that in Mississippi your spouse has to agree to the divorce and ALL of the terms of the divorce (irreconcilable differences) OR you have to have Fault Grounds against your spouse that you can prove to the satisfaction of a Judge.
If there is no agreement by the spouses OR you do not have OR cannot prove fault grounds you will just stay unhappily married.
So, what happens if your spouse will not agree and you cannot prove grounds? You stay married or you move away. Those are your options.
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and can help you get out of being unhappily ever after.
BeGreat Bow Ties…Thank YOu!
Recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very unique new bow tie in my mailbox!
Someone sent me the above bow tie. It is by far the most unique bow tie have. Also, intentionally or not, it was sent anonymously. I could not glean who it was from. The word “KIDS” and the “Scales of Justice” certainly indicate it was intentional and someone who knew me and TLF’s passion for helping families in Mississippi. So, thank you.
BeGreat Bow Ties has a meaningful and moving backstory.
The company was inspired by Tyrelle D Shaw, who committed suicide in June 2015. Tyrelle was the original creator of the unque bow tie idea…
Some 44,965 Americans commit suicide every year. This alarmingly high number shows the need for change and awareness of this problem. Suicide is an issue that’s plagued our communities for far too long and unfortunately it’s on the rise.
At BeGreat bow ties, we want to show that every life matters and there are resources available that can help.
We donate 5% of every purchase to Elevation Society, Their mission is focused on reducing suicide, bullying, and depression by uniting humans to collectively solve issues and show every individual their life is worth fighting for.
I am grateful for my BeGreat Bow Tie and will wear it proudly.
Thank you!
Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody and Adoption lawyer in Mississippi.
Rocky Wilkins: Best of Jackson- Personal Injury Attorney
I’ve known Rocky for over 15 years. He’s been a personal injury attorney for about 19 of his 20 years of law practice. He is as good as they get.
Rocky has been nominated for Best Personal Injury Attorney. There are some good ones on the list, but I can attest to Rocky’s legal skill and experience, legal ethics and his ability to help people who are not in a position to help themselves. Rocky is my #1.
There’s a link up above to go to the voting. Now, the website has not made it easy or user friendly. Below are the step-by-step, instructions;
- 1) Click Link (above)
- 2) Scroll to bottom of landing page and click “Next,”
- 3) Vote for Your choice. Rocky is the last name in the #3 category “Best Personal Injury Attorney.”
- 4) Scroll all the way down and click “Next.”
- 5) Enter your name, email and phone number. (the site is doing this to verify votes from real persons and to dissuade ballot stuffing)
- 6) Click “Submit.”
Rocky Wilkins was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1996 and the University of Mississippi School Of Law in 1999.
Mr. Wilkins practiced personal injury law at his own law firm in Jackson, Mississippi for over 15 years before joining Morgan and Morgan in May 2017 as a partner with the firm.
Mr. Wilkins focuses primarily on personal injury, product liability, automobile accident litigation, 18-wheeler cases, premises liability, and fire cases. Mr. Wilkins has had involvement with litigation regarding Baycol, the Rouse Polymerics Plant explosion in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the Lakeview Manor Apartment fire that resulted in the deaths of four children.
Mr. Wilkins has tried over 40 cases to verdict and obtained several substantial jury verdicts in his career, including some in excess of $1 million. Mr. Wilkins has been a featured speaker at numerous seminars on the topics of trial practice, personal injury litigation, and evidence. He also taught Trial Practice as an adjunct professor at Mississippi College School of Law.
Mr. Wilkins is a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Mississippi Association for Justice, and the American Board of Trial Advocates and was chosen as a Super Lawyer from 2014-2017 and Rising Star from 2009-2012 in the area of personal injury. He is the co-host of Law Call, which is a live weekly television show to discuss legal topics and answer questions from viewers.
Love your Child MORE than you Hate the Other Parent…
Your job as the parent is to do what is best for your child every time.
It can be hard to show grace to a spouse/other parent who does not deserve, but most of the time it is what is best for your child.
It does not mean that they are not held accountable, but what it does mean, is that short of placing your child in true danger, you encourage and promote a relationship between the child and the other parent.
Just not saying hateful things (like they do ) is not enough. Your child is half of them and half of you. If you convince them that the other parent is ALL bad, then you are telling your child that half of their identity is bad.
Exceptions, of course, are made for abuse and dangerous conduct, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.
Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody lawyer in Mississippi and thinks the Family Law world needs a little more love.
(601)850-8000
(601) 850-8000 - - BowTieLawyer.MS 