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

Courtroom Etiquette; It’s NOT what you see on TV.

03/10/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Ben Matlock and Perry Mason were always able to berate the real killer on the witness stand until he confessed or it just so happened that the real killer attended the Trial, sitting in the audience, just to watch, only to see himself implicated and arrested before he could leave.

However, real Court is not like TV Court. Lawyers for the most part do not have surprise witnesses that no one knows of and the real killer does not attend and watch from the gallery. Though Court is usually open to the public, rarely does anyone other than a family member attend.

Lawyers are usually held to a reasonable standard of Courtroom Etiquette and witnesses and parties are even more-so.

Courtroom Etiquette includes;

Dressing appropriately. (conservative or church attire is acceptable, shorts, sleeveless tops, & hats are not)
Acting appropriately. (No guffawing, exclaiming, gum chewing, loud talking in the audience)
Waiting for the Question to be asked before Answering. (All is being typed by the Court reporter)
Answering “Yes” or “No,” and then explaining if necessary.
Not Shouting or Yelling.
Not Cursing.
Not Lying.
Not Faking Emotion.

Court is emotional. You can have and show emotion, but the Court is going to judge the level of emotion shown based on the issues before it and will take into account stage fright. The Judge also knows, more often than not, when you are faking it.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Litigation Attorney in Mississippi; know when to hold, when to fold them, know when to walk away and when to run…

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Divorce, General Legal

Courtroom Jitters

03/07/2014 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

Testifying in Court is the most nerve-racking experience for the parties in a case.

The number one phobia among human beings is public speaking, not death, heights, or spiders. Evidence of this can be seen daily. Add to it the pressure of being involved in serious litigation and Courtroom Jitters are to be expected.

I have seen witnesses forget the answer to the most basic of questions due to stage fright. I had a witness forget her address, the one where she had lived for years. I’ve seen a deposition transcript where the husband going through a divorce lost his cool when asked his name. To him the question was insulting because they had been married for years. The anxiety of being in that situation got the better of him.

A colleague told me she had a witness freeze while being questioned about adultery and then lie about the affair even though he knew the other side had “it” on video! After the lie the attorney requested a short recess. The client said he panicked and just said,”NO!” ( while Nancy Reagan would have been proud, it was perjury). After the recess the opposing attorney asked to play the video to impeach the witness. The witness admitted the affair, but it was too late. The court ordered the video be played.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Litigation Attorney in Mississippi. Stage fright happens and is real. The best advice is avoid Court. The second best advice is prepare, prepare, prepare.

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Crime, Divorce, General Legal

When a Whisper is Not a Whisper; The Lost Art of Whispering

03/06/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

At the movies, the library and the classroom you get in trouble for talking. Whispering is requisite.

In Court, whispering, too, is a critical skill. On numerous occasions I have heard many a too loud whisper.

Yesterday I blogged about getting caught taking a bow tie selfie and learning of me getting busted via a too loud whisper.

On another occasion I was taking a deposition and the issue of whether my client had a gun in her car was brought up. She denied having a gun. The soon-to-be ex “whispered” to his attorney that he knew where it was in her car because he put it there!

Learn the ART of Whispering.

Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody Attorney in Mississippi and Whispers quietly.

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Bow Tie

Your Every Move is Watched

03/05/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

I wear bow ties to Court. Pictures of me in a suit include me in a bow tie. I tie them myself and enjoy wearing them, the look and the attention.

I market the bow tie as well. My blog is blog.bowtielawyer.ms. A search of Bow Tie Lawyer reveals a lot of my musings.

Recently, I was awaiting court and was mentioned in a Tweet regarding bow tie selfies. Those are pictures of yourself in a bow tie. I took one. One of the other persons awaiting court whispered, “he just took a picture of his bow tie.” It was not a quiet whisper, though I believe it was intended to be.

So, what’s the point? Just remember that you are being watched. You are watched in Court, in your dealings out in public, in your daily routines and even those times when you think you are not.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and reminds you to Watch Out!

#bowtielawyerms
http://wwww.bowtielawyer.ms
(601) 850-8000

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Through the Eyes of Child; What Does Your Child SEE?

03/03/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

One of the “rules” of Family Law is when you don’t know what the right legal answer is, do what is RIGHT and you will probably be okay.

Doing what is right is not always easy, nor fun. On several occasions I have had client’s faced with seemingly tough decisions or circumstances. One client suspected the spouse of abusing illegal drugs. They did not have direct proof, but knew of drug abuse in the past and had knowledge of very suspicious behavior lately. Their idea was to create a circumstance where they would have the spouse under surveillance when the spouse was out buying drugs. The problem was the suspected spouse would also have the child during that time. I told them that you cannot put your child in that situation…

In other instances, parties have had the other spouse served while they had the children. The problem with this is that it is scary and stressful for the child. Sometimes, it seems, having them served in this manner just cannot be avoided, but if it can, it should be. (See my prior blog on service of process.

Think about your child,what they are experiencing and what they “SEE” before you go and do something to your soon-to-be ex-spouse.

Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody Attorney in Mississippi reminding you to SEE things through the eyes of your child.

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Child Custody, Opinion, Visitation

It’s Soccer Saturday!

03/01/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Spring is right around the corner and soccer season is in full swing. We have a double header today and will spend most of our day outside at the soccer field.

I sponsor and coach an Under 6 girls soccer team. There are 2 critical issues when coaching 5 & 6 year old soccer. 1) Jersey Color. Our team got Pink so our season was a victory without playing a game! And, 2) Snacks! The secret to a successful soccer season is having great snacks!

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in the Magnolia State and he knows snacks!!

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm

You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Divorce, General Legal

Different Laws in Different States (Get Advised by an Experienced Attorney in Your State)

02/28/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

All States have Family Law Courts, but not all Family Laws are the same throughout the Country.

Often I get calls from potential clients from other states. Either they were originally from here and did not know who else to call, their case was originally decided here, or they just heard that State “X” has a certain law. Where you can sue or be sued really regards jurisdiction, blogged previously. Today is about the fact that the law is different from State to State.

There is no uniform code of family law. All states are required to have a child support formula, but not all states calculate it the same way. All states have provisions for divorce, but some states prefer “No-fault” divorces while some require you to have fault grounds, if an agreement cannot be reached. States have different burdens of proof, residency requirements and waiting periods.

Just because your cousin’s friends got something in her divorce in Texas does not mean you can get it in Tennessee.

Matthew Thompson is a Domestic Relations Attorney in Mississippi. Be sure you call an attorney in the appropriate State.

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

General Legal

Identification is Now Required to Vote in Mississippi (Voter ID)

02/27/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Mississippi recently enacted a Voter ID requirement for most citizens in the State. Regardless of your politics, it is now the law. The Mississippi Secretary of State, Delbert Hosemann, has done a great job of getting the word out of the new requirement and how to get your Voter ID. Here’s how;

Who needs an ID?
All Mississippians voting at the polls will be required to show a photo ID card. Also, individuals voting in person by absentee ballot in the Circuit Clerk’s oﬃce prior to Election Day will be required to show a photo ID.

There are two exemptions:

RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS
Any Mississippi registered voter who states he/she does not have acceptable photo identification because of a religious objection to being photographed shall be entitled to vote by affidavit ballot without being required to show a photo ID. The ballot will not be rejected for this reason if the voter signs a separate affidavit before the Circuit Clerk within ﬁve days of the election.

ELIGIBLE ABSENTEE BALLOT VOTERS
Eligible Mississippi voters will not need a photo ID if voting by absentee ballot by mail instead of voting in person at the polls or at a Circuit Clerk’s office. This exemption also applies to eligible voters who are Uniformed Military and Overseas Voters (UOCAVA) who cast an absentee ballot by FAX or email.

WHAT IS AN ACCEPTABLE ID?

A driver’s license
A photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
A United States passport
A government employee ID card
A firearms license
A student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college
A United States military ID
A tribal photo ID
Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government or any State government
A Mississippi Voter Identification Card

HOW CAN I GET A MISSISSIPPI VOTER ID CARD?
Beginning in January 2014, all Mississippi Circuit Clerk’s offices will be able to issue a FREE Mississippi Voter Identification Card to any eligible Mississippi voter who does NOT have any other form of acceptable photo ID.

WHAT DOCUMENTS DO I NEED TO GET A VOTER ID CARD?
To get FREE Mississippi Voter Identification Card, take any ONE of the following types of documents to the Circuit Clerk’s office:

Any expired but valid photo identity document having the voter’s name and photograph issued by the U.S. government or any U.S. state
A birth certificate or any other document with the voter’s full legal name, date and place of birth
A Social Security card
A Medicare card
A Medicaid card
A Mississippi Voter Registration Card
Any of the following, as long as it includes the voter’s name and current address:
- Utility bill issued within the preceding six months
- Bank statement issued within the preceding six months
- Paycheck issued within the preceding six months
- Government check issued within the preceding six months
- IRS Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement issued within the current calendar year

WHAT IF I NEED MORE INFO?

CALL 1.855.868.3745 or 1.844.MSVOTER

or visit

http://www.MSVoterID.ms.gov

Matthew Thompson is a practicing attorney in Mississippi Family Law Courts reminding you to do your part and Vote.

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm You may also contact Matthew with your family law case or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms