All posts by BowTieLawyer

Matthew operates the Thompson Law Firm, pllc, a Mississippi based Family Law firm emphasizing; Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Modification, Contempt and Appeals, handling family law cases throughout Mississippi. (601) 850-8000 Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms www.BowTieLawyer.ms
General Legal, Opinion

Judging the Judge

Leave a comment

There are a smattering of sites devoted to ostracizing a few select judges. These usually pop up when one party feels so aggrieved that they decide to let the whole world know about it. There is nowhere online that judges are celebrated.

Now there is a place to do this. The Robing Room. This site is a place where Judges are Judged. It reports to be operated by attorneys and is based in New York City!

The site lists Judges by Federal and State Districts. The Mississippi page, linked here, has Judges listed by County and by Circuit or Chancery District. The listings have not been updated in some time, and a number of the judges are not judges anymore due to retirement and elections.

There are only a handful of reviews for Mississippi, but other states have more. I assume the dearth of information is because this is not a commonly known site in Mississippi.

So if you love your judge or love to tell the world how bad he/she is, now is your chance. The site states the postings are anonymous, though require an email to post a rating. The rating provides for a numerical score on multiple characteristics and allows for comments.

Matthew Thompson is a Family law attorney and knows the judges may groan about this. However, the positions are non-partisan, elected and subject to public scrutiny or praise. Be the judge that gets the praise.

General Legal, humor

Go Jump off the Roof!

Leave a comment

Your parents used to ask you “if all of the other children jumped off the roof (or bridge), would you?”

This lawyer answered in the affirmative. Adam Wirtz, an attorney in Illinois, was craving a “skybath” and jumped off of the 10-story Courthouse under construction in Will County, Illinois.

He was observed by law enforcement and arrested upon his landing. It appears the charge will be trespassing.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and is amazed at the length some lawyers will go to avoid Court!

Divorce, General Legal

Banned From Court…

Leave a comment

Know the rules of your particular Courthouse before you get there.

Certain items may NOT be taken into Court, usually. Of course no firearms or weapons may be taken into Court. There have been laws and lawsuits regarding this. See Ward v. Colom, 2016-M-01072-SCT

However, depending on your jurisdiction, there are other items disallowed, and can include:

Cell Phones, Cameras, Recording Devices, Laptops, Ipads, E-Notebooks, Smart Watches, Mace, Weapon’s accessories (ie., a holster, even if empty), Purses, Hand bags, and the like.

In some jurisdiction this applies to the litigants and in some the litigants, witnesses, observers and attorneys.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney in Mississippi and reminds you to Ask your attorney the rules of what you can and cannot bring to Court.

Child Custody, Opinion

Be a Better Parent…

Leave a comment

Protecting your child is your #1 priority…

It’s not attacking the other parent. It’s not making up false allegations. It’s not telling the same lies, time and time again. It’s not making false abuse allegations. It’s not telling anyone who will listen your “woe is me tale.”

Be there. Do what you are supposed to do, every time. Be honest. Be professional. Admit your mistakes and learn from them. Don’t double down on the same bad behaviors that got you into the fight in the first place.

Being a better parent is a lot of work and can be hard, but it’s worth it. Your child deserves it.

Matthew Thompson is a child custody lawyer, a dad, and is encouraging you to be a better parent. Start today. It’s not too late.

#ThompsonLawFirm #BowTieLawyer.MS #(601)850-8000

Child Custody, Child Support

Facebook, Friends and Your Judge…

1 Comment

In Madison, Wisconsin a Judge accepting a litigant’s friend request was enough to warrant a new trial by a different Judge.

In 2016, a mother sought sole custody and child support in a modification action against the father. After a two-day evidentiary trial, the Judge gave the parties 10 days to submit proposals on how the Court should rule. After these submissions, but prior to the Court ruling the Judge accepted the mother’s Facebook friend request. This was unknown to the father.

While awaiting a decision, the mother liked 18 of the Judge’s “Facebook posts and commented on two of them.” However, the Judge did not like or comment on any of the mother’s posts, though he did not deny reading them.

In July, the Judge ruled in favor of the mother. That same day, the guardian ad litem for the child learned that the mother had posted on Facebook that “the Honorable Judge granted everything we requested” and then discovered the mother and Judge were Facebook friends. 

The father filed a motion to reconsider, arguing the Facebook frienship created the appearance of impropriety. The Court ruled that he’d made up phis mind prior to the request and denied the father’s motion.

The Wisconsin Appellate Court found that these circumstances clearly created the appearance of impropriety.

The mother’s friend request, and the Judge’s acceptance just prior to a decision “conveys the impression that [the mother] was in a special position to influence [the] Judge’s ultimate decision — a position not available to individuals that he had not ‘friended,’ such as [the father].

The appellate court did state that the “decision does not reach the merits of… [the] ultimate decision on [the mother’s] motion, and we recognize the parties will be required to relitigate their custody and physical placement issues.”

Source: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2019/02/20/judge-accepted-facebook-friend-request-woman-pending-matter/2925778002/

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and encourages you NOT to be Facebook friends with your Judge.

General Legal, humor, Opinion

Happy Valentine’s Day, Soulmate!

Leave a comment
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is soulmates.jpg

Here’s an interesting article on What Divorce Lawyers think about Soulmates.  One contributor to the article includes my friend and colleague from Atlanta, Randy Kessler.

And here are 5 signs that that special someone is NOT your soulmate.

Matthew Thompson is a divorce attorney wishing you a very special and happy Valentine’s Day!

Divorce, Opinion

Mississippi; Still #1 in the most difficult state to get a divorce…

Leave a comment

This is not a pro divorce post. This is a common sense divorce post.

48 States* have divorce laws that allow for a divorce if one party seeks a divorce. Mississippi does not allow this. Mississippi requires either an agreement to all terms or you must have fault grounds.

A recent Bill attempted to add as a fault ground, actual separation for a period of 3 years:

Thirteenth.* Willful and continued separation without cohabitation, with the intent not to return or resume or otherwise continue the marital relationship, for not less than three (3) years. Either party may have a divorce based on this cause.

This Bill, authored by Sally Doty, never made it out of committee and died.

Why should you care? Because Mississippi law, as it exists right now, promotes divorce blackmail.

You can be anti-divorce and still acknowledge that some people need to be divorced, even absent adultery and abuse.

*South Dakota is the other state that does not recognize true no-fault divorce.

*There are currently 12 fault grounds for divorce in Mississippi.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and is in favor of amending the divorce statutes.

Follow the blog: BowTieLawyer 

img_6390
Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Modifications, Property Division, Visitation

The Updated BOOK is In. 2018-2019; Mississippi Divorce, Alimony and Child Custody with Forms.

2 Comments

Get ’em while they’re hot…

Mississippi Divorce, Alimony and Child Custody with Forms, 2018-2019, is hitting the shelves and internet near you.

This edition, in addition to bedrock family law principles, includes statutory and case law updates regarding jurisdiction, alimony, equitable division, business valuation, contempt, attorney fees, visitation, custody and de facto marriage concerns. It also includes updated, revised and new forms.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law practitioner in Mississippi and has been the author of Mississippi Divorce, Alimony and Child Custody with Forms, since taking the reigns from his now retired Law School professor, the venerable Shelton Hand.

Matthew@BowTieLawyer.ms (601)850-8000