Family law is tough. It is tough to go through, deal with, and be involved in.
It can also be unfair. But wait, the Judge has to be fair, right? Yes, but the Judge’s definition of fair and yours will be different.
Also, the whole circumstance may be unfair. You can live your best life and still find yourself in the divorce attorney’s office.
The handful of times that I have seen even good results feel bad is when one party is just not ready. They did not want a divorce. They did not want to be in my office. And, they did not do anything (or any one thing) to result in needing a divorce.
These are often the hardest circumstances. The client may be right. This may all be unfair, but it nonetheless is happening.
So what do you do if you realize it’s too soon and you’re not ready? Get an experienced lawyer. Confer with experts; a counselor, a CPA or financial planner, your pastor, your trusted family and friends.
Get prepared and be intentional, even if you don’t want to.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody and divorce lawyer in Mississippi and knows when it’s too soon. However, the law doesn’t always allow for the mental processing necessary for all clients.
We all mess up. It happens. However, when our mess up negatively affects others, merely fixing the mistake is not enough, especially when it’s a child.
Being an adult can be hard. Being a parent is hard. Being an adult that has to deal with children is hard. Making mistakes is inevitable. However, how those mistakes are dealt with is the difference between showing a true servant’s heart and being a cold, unapologetic robot.
As a parent, we have all messed up. A quick, heartfelt apology is always best. To the extent you can fix your mess up, you do it. When the correction causes more trauma, you don’t.
A child does not need to learn from an Adult’s mistake – even an honest mistake. That isn’t teaching the child a lesson. That’s actually showing adults are not accountable for their actions.
“My bad, but you suffer…”
Also, admitting your mistake is good. But the way its handled thereafter matters too. A heavy-hand is not always the best. Being respectful never goes out of style and attempts to deescalate problems is the #1 priority when dealing with these situations.
A wise man once said the referee could throw a flag on every play, wisdom is not doing so. Also, sometimes picking that flag up and waving it off is the right thing to do.
The lesson here is ultimately do the right thing. Protect the child, be honest, but don’t make that child suffer because of your mistake.
Also, it’s NEVER too late to do the right thing!
Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and advises parents/adults to not make a child suffer because of your mistake.
“Ethan’s, Hailey’s, and Bentley’s Law“1 requires a sentencing court to order a defendant who has been convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication, and in which the victim of the offense was the parent of a minor child, to pay restitution in the form of child maintenance to each of the victim’s children until each child reaches 18 years of age and has graduated from high school.
Cecilia Williams , grandmother of, Bentley Williams, 5, and Mason Williams, 3, is raising her grandchildren after their parents were killed April 13, 2021, in a drunk-driving accident in Missouri.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill on May 25, 2022.
Along with Tennessee, Bentley’s Law has also been introduced in Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma. Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Kansas, Arkansas, Delaware, Wisconsin, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Texas and Utah have stated plans to introduce similar laws during 2023 sessions.
David G. Thurby, 26, of Fenton, TN was charged and convicted of three counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal accident in Byrnes Mill, Missouri.
After the fatal accident on April 13, 2021, Thurby was arrested and told a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper that before the crash, he had seven shots of Crown and water, and a preliminary breath test showed Thurby’s blood-alcohol content was .192 percent, more than twice the legal limit, according to the probable-cause statement in the case.
A jury found Thurby guilty following a trial in front of Jefferson County Circuit Judge Victor Melenbrink.
In March, Judge Melenbrink sentenced Thurby to four years in prison on each of the three counts. Two of the counts are to be served consecutively with the other to be served concurrently, meaning Thurby is to serve eight years in prison.
Williams has set up a Facebook group called “Bentley’s Law” to share updates about the law’s progress in each state.
Matthew Thompson is Child Support lawyer in Mississippi and supports a law such as this in Mississippi.
This is said shortly after one party disclosed the dirty details to the child regarding the other parent. Followed by the statement, “they have the right to know.”
They do not have the Right nor the need to know.
This is never appropriate.
But what about that parent, with their righteous indignation, who says, “I do NOT lie to my child?” My response? “What about the Tooth Fairy?
I get a blank stare.
We lie to our children all the time A LiveScience.com article stated it better, “Parents Lie to Children Surprisingly Often.” This article concluded that parent’s lie to protect their child and lie to preserve some semblance of innocence and childhood for their children. These are all good things.
The Tooth Fairy question gets that indignant parent every time. There is no good reason to “tell all” about the other parent’s misdeeds. You should be telling them that the other parents loves them very much. When the kids are older they will realize the truth and appreciate you all the more for allowing them to have a childhood and to love their other parent, even if the other parent did not deserve it.
Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody Attorney in Mississippi and believes sometimes lying to your children is in their best interests.
A Boston, MA parent is tired of homeschooling his kindergartener.
“Amid the barrage of learning apps, video meet-ups and e-mailed assignments that pass as pandemic home school, some frustrated and exhausted parents are choosing to disconnect entirely for the rest of the academic year.“Id.
Respect and admiration for teachers are growing as the pandemic-forced school closures continue.
As a parent, your job is to do what is best for your child, even during a pandemic.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody lawyer and enjoys his share of Godzilla and Jedi movies, but reminds parents that rearing your child continues to be a top priority.
Essential Travel includes, “Travel required by…court order, including to transport children pursuant to a custody agreement.
We are operating in uncharted waters as far as what to do and when to do it regarding getting out of the house. However, generally speaking the Court expects you to abide by its Order unless it is unsafe to so do. The Court then expects parents to act reasonably, communicate and make reasonable accommodations.
COVID-19 is NOT an excuse to be a terrible parent.
There are a lot of ways to interact safely; in-person, ( so long as it is safe to do so), Facetime, Zoom, telephone, email, text, video and other electronic means.
Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody lawyer and encourages parents to be reasonable and not try to take advantage of these circumstances. Do what you believe is in the best interests of your child.
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