Category Archives: General Legal

Crime, General Legal

CraigsList Sales the Safe Way.

Leave a comment

You can find some smoking deals online. Furniture, cars, and fishing supplies, among a plethora of other items are available.  But along with hot deals comes the potential for shady dealings.

However, Rankin County has a solution. The Rankin County Sheriff’s Office and multiple police departments in the area are creating “Safe Zones” for online “Craigslist” type transactions in the parking lots of at the Sheriff’s Office and police stations.

Rankin County Sheriff, Bryan Bailey, and many of the local police chiefs in Rankin County are encouraging the public to use the agencies’ parking lots and/or lobbies for their online transactions when a face to face meeting and exchange is required.

Many of these locations are under 24-hour video surveillance and have a constant flow of law enforcement personnel at all hours.

“We believe that this will prevent robberies and violent crime, and we hope this will make our citizens feel safer,” said Sheriff Bailey. “Providing these ‘Safe Lots’ are something positive we can do for our community at absolutely no cost.”

The following locations may be used;

Rankin County Sheriff’s Office in Brandon

Brandon Police Department

Pearl Police Department

Flowood Police Department

Florence Police Department

Pelahatchie Police Department

Reservoir Police Department

*Hat tip to Jackson Jambalaya for getting the scoop.

Matthew Thompson is a Domestic Relations Attorney in Mississippi and likes getting a good deal, just like the rest of you!

Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyer

img_6390

General Legal, Opinion

How to Handle Someone that Bothers You; Are You Married to Oscar the Grouch?

Leave a comment

I hear complaints, gripes and criticisms everyday.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/161094754/oscar-the-grouch-bow-tie

It comes with the territory in helping people navigate emotional landmines involved in Family Law cases. However, I often ask,

“Did you tell him that comment bothered you?”

“No.”

“Why Not?”

“He should know that it bothered me…”

Perhaps he should know that it bothered you, perhaps he does know, or it’s possible he was oblivious.

ob·liv·i·ous (əˈblivēəs/)
adjective
not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one.

How do you handle it? You tell him that it bothered you.

“Hey, that comment of equating me to Oscar the Grouch hurt my feelings. I did not appreciate it. Cookie Monster, perhaps, but not Oscar.”

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and knows that sometimes we are grouches when we should be gracious.

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

Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

The Fallout Continues…and there is more to come. Ashley Madison won’t Stop.

Leave a comment

One more post on Ashley Madison and then I am taking a break from the subject.

You can read about the Ashley Madison hack here and what it means and doesn’t mean here.

What is still developing are the ramifications from the hack and the disclosure of private information.

It’s been reported that there have been suicides due to person’s private information being leaked. There have been public admissions of using the site and being the “biggest hypocrite ever.” There have been public denials that the person listed did not create the account or use the account, well maybe they did create it, but it was for curiosity’s sake only. There have also been outright denials of accessing the site and that an impostor created the account.  This did happen, by the way.

There is actually a law in Mississippi which makes it illegal to impersonate another real person online with the intent to threaten, harm, intimidate or defraud another.  The fake accounts may well be actionable if it impersonated a real person.

The other concerning part is that the Impact Team, the hackers responsible for the leak, have indicated they have the content of private messages and pictures shared through the site. There may be more fallout to come.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Lawyer in Mississippi and warns you that this story has “legs” and other body parts too!

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

 

Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

AshleyMadison; The Naked Truth.

1 Comment

The List has been leaked. The names have been scoured. More than a few were familiar to you…

AshleyMadison is all the talk, but your name being on the list is not a conviction, at least not yet. It does not even mean you used it.

The site is supposedly anonymous. Meaning anyone could enter a User Name (not their real name), use a Prepaid Gift Card and a dummy (or generic) email address. Reports indicate some did just that. However, some most certainly did not.

Also, just because you were on the list did not mean you had an affair. It means that perhaps you wanted to, intended to, or wanted to have some chat time with a fictional woman.  The man to woman ratio makes it highly unlikely that those users of the site were “successful.”

It also means that some of those listed in all likelihood had affairs and spent money doing so.  In some instances, it’s being reported, thousands of dollars were spent. This is trouble for several reasons. 1) It is circumstantial evidence of an affair, certainly inclination (or infatuation), and 2) spending money on a girlfriend, or boyfriend, is Marital Waste.

It is at best just embarrassing and at worst indicative of family problems in the past and probably some more to come.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and recommends that if you are on the list it’s time to make that call.

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

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Why Ashley Madison’s Data Dump May Lead to Your Son Getting Dumped

3 Comments

“Life is short. Have an affair.®” is the tag line that greets you at AshleyMadison.com.

However, a recent hack of AshleyMadison’s data servers may make your life even shorter.  Approximately 32 million users worldwide had their data hacked, including, names, email addresses and credit card information.

A group called the Impact Team demanded that the owner’s of AshleyMadison, and another site, remove their sites or be faced with having “secure” customer information released to the masses.

The Impact Team reportedly object to AshleyMadison’s moral turpitude and fraudulent business practices.  One example was that for an additional fee AshleyMadison promised to completely remove your online presence with them, which they did not follow through on.

The fall out is still in its earliest stages. Reviews of the logins and emails show a number of seemingly fake names and email addresses created for shenanigans, but credit card numbers may show otherwise.

The Impact Team’s response was “We have explained the fraud, deceit, and stupidity of ALM and their members. Now everyone gets to see their data…. Keep in mind the site is a scam with thousands of fake female profiles. See ashley madison fake profile lawsuit; 90-95% of actual users are male. Chances are your man signed up on the world’s biggest affair site, but never had one. He just tried to. If that distinction matters.”

AshleyMadison responded “This event is not an act of hacktivism, it is an act of criminality. It is an illegal action against the individual members of AshleyMadison.com, as well as any freethinking people who choose to engage in fully lawful online activities…The criminal, or criminals, involved in this act have appointed themselves as the moral judge, juror, and executioner, seeing fit to impose a personal notion of virtue on all of society. We will not sit idly by and allow these thieves to force their personal ideology on citizens around the world.”

The takeaway is that your online information is not as safe as you think it is and when a third-party has it others can get it.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and is advising his clients to not have affairs.

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

Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Tom Brady, “Tom”foolery & his Cell Phone;Divorce Attorneys Should Take a Play from Brady’s Playbook

3 Comments

Tom Brady is a Patriot and a pioneer in legal advice and he doesn’t even know it!

By now you are well aware of the fracas that is now known as DeflateGate.  Tom Brady did or did not have something to do with under inflated footballs in an NFL playoff game. There is now, literally, a Federal law suit about it.  He has been punished by the league, but avows his innocence.

But, what is the best piece of legal advice ever learned from Tom Brady?

Destroy your cell phone.

Tom Brady destroyed his cell phone. You see, he upgraded to a new phone and stated that his practice is to destroy his old one. To protect against identity theft, I’m sure.  He did this in the midst of the NFL’s investigation, but prior to formal legal proceedings being filed.(Disregard that he did not do so with prior phone upgrades.)

Had there been pending formal legal proceedings there could have been some issues with “destruction of evidence,” but without legal proceedings pending, upgrading his hardware and destroying the old, worn out device was just smart.

Sure, it may create the appearance of “Tom”foolery, but it does NOT allow said malfeasance to be confirmed.

So, you ask why else would he destroy his cell phone if there were NOT incriminating texts on it?

5.  He had embarrassing text messages, such as Gisele calling him her “Brady-Boo.”

4.  He expressed remorse about being an NFL Quarterback over his true dream of being a dancer.

3.  He was critical of Belichick’s hoodie.

2.  There were naked pictures of he and Gisele in nothing but Patriot’s Helmets and there was no way that wasn’t getting “leaked” if turned over.

1.   There were incriminating text messages on it.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and is advising his clients to take a play from Tom Brady’s playbook, if legal to do so.

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

General Legal, Marriage

Happy Anniversary; The Secret to Happily Ever After!

Leave a comment

Anniversary–  (noun) an·ni·ver·sa·ry; a date that is remembered or celebrated because a special or notable event occurred on that date in a previous year.

The critical part of that definition is a date that is remembered. The funny part is that it is NOT hard to remember, but it is EASY to forget.

There is no secret to achieving Happily Ever After, either, by the way.  It takes work, commitment, faith, stick-to-it-ness, and even some luck.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce attorney and has practiced Family law for a decade and reminds you Don’t Forget Those Anniversaries.

Happy Anniversary!

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

Divorce, General Legal

Just One Simple Question…

Leave a comment

Just one simple question…

What a lawyer says matters. Not that it’s more important than what your Doctor or Pastor says, but if a lawyer is wrong you and he/she may get in trouble. Lots of trouble.

Often I am asked “Can you answer just one simple question?” The problem is the knowledge and information necessary makes neither simple nor just one question.  For example, “Will I have to pay Alimony?”

To Answer that with even a remote chance of “getting it right,” one needs to know;

  • What do you do?
  • What does your spouse do?
  • Respective incomes?
  • Earning Capacities?
  • Education?
  • How long since you’ve last worked?
  • How long since she’s last worked?
  • Are there minor children in the home?
  • What age?
  • How long have you been married?
  • Marital fault?
  • How much is the marital estate worth?
  • Is it liquid?
  • How much is the separate estate worth?
  • What else is the spouse receiving?

Just one simple question…

Matthew Thompson is a Domestic Relations Attorney in Mississippi and reminds you that Mississippi is indeed an “Alimony state.”

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