Category Archives: divorce

I Say, You Say, We All Say Hearsay

09/09/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Witness: And then my neighbor said that he was f….

Lawyer: Objection, your Honor. Hearsay.

Judge: Sustained. Don’t tell me what somebody said.

download

Hearsay happens everyday. Hearsay, by definition, is any out of Court statement used to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Huh? Yep, legal mumbo-jumbo. Think of hearsay as ANYTHING that is said outside of the Courtroom by ANYBODY. It also includes writings, documents and many, many things, but that is a blog for another day. Today it’s about testimony.

Most commonly hearsay occurs anytime a witness is telling their story. It is very difficult to tell what happened and who did what without saying what was said. This is very frustrating for witnesses, irritating for Judges and something a lot of attorneys woefully ill prepare for. If you are a witness testifying just know that you cannot say what somebody else said unless they are a party in the case.

So, when mom is testifying about how upset little johnny was when dad dropped him off late for the baseball game, but mom did not see it and was relying on the assistant coach telling her, she can’t say what the assistant coach told her. Either the assistant coach has to come testify or mom has to describe little johnny after the game. “He came home sullen, eyes red, as if he’d been crying.” Little Johnny told her what happened. So she called dad. Now she can talk about the call with dad and who said what because they are the parties. Confused yet?

Hearsay and testimony is something you need to practice handling with your attorney. You may always describe what you did and said and this is the way around hearsay and/or having the other witnesses involved testify.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and encourages you to practice your testimony and telling your story without saying what somebody else said.

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

Bow Tie, divorce, Opinion

Happy National Bow Tie Day!

08/28/2013 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

August 28 is a day of note. It is National Bow Tie Day!

“Bow Ties are believed to have originated among Croatian Mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th century. These Croat mercenaries used a ‘scarf’ around the neck to tie the opening of their shirts. This was soon adopted by the French upper classes in form of the cravat. From there the neck-ware flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_tie

“It is uncertain whether the cravat then evolved into the bow tie AND necktie, or whether the cravat gave rise to the bow tie, which in turn led to the necktie.” Id.

I celebrated the day by wearing a bow tie to Court. It probably had no impact on the outcome, but the judge made a comment about it. He has “worn one once or twice,” but has not mastered tying one, just yet.

The bow tie is frequently a topic of conversation. I was recently told that only 2 types of people wear bow ties; 1) law professors and 2) clowns. The person saying this, I think, was trying to make a mild insult. They asked which was I. I responded with “law school professor.” It’s true.

I have previously blogged on “Why the Bow Tie.”

I know what you are thinking,

“Who are some Notable bow tie wearers?”

Abraham Lincoln
Franklin Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Winston Churchill
John Paul Stevens
Albert Einstein
Sigmund Freud
Humphrey Bogart
Frank Sinatra
Charlie Chaplin
Orville Redenbacher
Bill Nye
James Bond
Barney Fife
Donald Duck
The Cat in the Hat

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and prefers bow ties to regular neck ties.

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

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

divorce

It’s my Blogaversary!

08/24/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Well, I did it. I have blogged for one year. I started because I wanted to. I had no specific goal to be an Internet sensation, not that I am…

I have posted 158 posts. I’ve had over 17,600 views and I have 1,527 followers. I’m logged in when I’m on the site so most of the views are not me. Also, my mom is not the most technologically savvy, so most aren’t her either!

Stay tuned for more and let me know if you have any requested blog topics!

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and prefers blogging to jogging.

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

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

divorce

Divorce…or a Bigger House?

Image 08/22/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

A Realtor’s solution to a troubled marriage. More space!

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and can help if you need a divorce. If you need a bigger house call a Realtor.

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

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

divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Why I HATE Being a Lawyer.

08/15/2013 BowTieLawyer 4 Comments

I don’t really hate being a lawyer. Most days I enjoy it. It can be rewarding emotionally, financially, even spiritually, but…

being a lawyer has its downsides.

For one, we have to deal with OTHER LAWYERS. Other lawyers do things differently than you do them. They are slow, they don’t do what they say they will, they tell you things that are just wrong and they give their clients crummy advice.
All of our CLIENTS HAVE PROBLEMS. That is why they are seeing you. Lawyers purposely make other people’s problems their own!
All Lawyers are NOT RICH. What?!! They never told you that before law school. Lawyers struggle to find their niche’, find their market and some just don’t like being lawyers.
JUDGES. Judges judge you. They judge me. That’s their job, but some let it go to their head. A Judge’s attitude alone can make or break a Court experience, even with the same outcome.
CHURCH COMMITTEES. Being a lawyer gets you the hot seat for every church, social, civic and community committee in known existence. You are automatically the chairperson and the questions never stop.
DOCTORS. Doctors don’t like lawyers. Sure, I have some doctor friends, but I have to tell them that I DO NOT sue doctors. (That’s not entirely true, as I do sue doctors that cheat on their spouses…)
We have to CHARGE $. Lawyers cannot afford to take your case for free. (see #3, above). I tell potential clients that I cannot afford to do it for free and that if they find one that will you better watch out for getting what you “paid” for. Most people deserve to have a lawyer. Most lawyers deserve to be paid.
FRIENDS that just have 1) question. It will only take a minute…
NOT KNOWING THE ANSWER. Of course lawyers don’t know every answer to every possible question. I tell people when I don’t know something. Yes, I am still a lawyer.
MANY CLIENTS. To be a successful lawyer you must have clients. Because of this you must have multiple clients. The downside is sometimes a client, a person you genuinely care for and want to help, has to wait on you. This is tough. It is a balancing act. You, as a lawyer, cannot be in 2 places at once. Most clients understand. Some do not.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and enjoys being a lawyer most days.

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

You may also contact Matthew with your family law case, question or concern at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@wmtlawfirm.com.

divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Opinion

Red Flags of an Affair

Video 08/13/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Warning signs to look for…

Warning signs that may show that your significant other may be seeing another!

A Secret Cell Phone. They have a 2nd phone without a need or the other phone is secret.
Change in Attire. The spouse is dressing in trendier clothes or “younger” or more “revealing” clothes.
New Undies. Provocative undergarments appear that you don’t see in use.
Working out. A sudden change in their workout regimen, without a scare from the Dr. and it’s not New Year’s Day.
Body Grooming. Manscaping, or new cologne, perfumes, etc.
Body Augmentation. Having lifts or lipos.
Longer Work Hours. Having to work late, a lot more often, and out-of-town travel when they previously did not.
Unexplained Absences. Going to the store for some milk and being gone 6 hours.
Bad On-Line Habits. Surfing at all hours of the night, deleting the browser history.
FaceBooking Old Flames.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and admits while these signs can certainly exist with nothing going on, that if 3 or more are happening Watch Out!

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

You may also contact Matthew with your family law case, question or concern at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@wmtlawfirm.com.

Child Custody, Child Support, divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Modifications

Don’t Bring Your Child to the Meeting With the Divorce Attorney (Video)

Video 08/08/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

A prior blog brought to life!

Bring your complaints, questions and a financial statement. Don’t bring your child.

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

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

divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Opinion

“What Rhymes with Hug Me?” (hey, hey, hey)

08/07/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Robin Thicke has a song out called Blurred Lines.

In the song he sings about sending mixed signals and how a response intended to mean one thing can be interpreted or mean another to the receiver.

Are your communications with your spouse doing the same thing?

Communication is critical. It’s critical in a healthy relationship and it’s critical in the aftermath. I have seen many, many post separation communications be misinterpreted and then used against the sending party. Email and text messages do not connote tone. Glib comments, being cute or even a smart aleck can easily be inferred or not.

Also, too much communication leads to mixed signals, mixed emotions, false hope and opportunity for your words to be used against you. Usually, I recommend limited communications and that those be about the children or emergencies, or course. Sometimes, however, I recommend no contact. You hired attorneys, let them do it.

Don’t blur the lines.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and while Blurred Lines may be a catchy song, blurred lines of communication can lead to trouble.

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

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