Category Archives: General Legal

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal, Visitation

Stay “Connected” to Your Kids.

01/22/2014 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Hello? How are you? I miss you! I love you!

That’s it. If you do nothing else your kids will know that you are thinking about them, that you love them, miss them and desire a relationship. Too often, in divorce/custody settings, it is easy to fall into the trap of “it’s not my time.” This trap allows days and sometimes weeks go by with little to no communication. Sometimes the other parent contributes to this or directly interferes, but you should attempt to do it anyway.

Call, email, text, FaceTime, Skype, send letters, cards, gift cards, and small gifts or trinkets. It does not have to be expensive, an occasion or ” your time.”

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law & Divorce Attorney in the Hospitality State. Be sure and show your child your hospitality!

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

Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce, General Legal

Read Your Papers!

12/24/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

It may sound rude, but the question is nonetheless valid, “Have you even read your divorce papers?”

The very first step in determining your rights, answering your questions and determining whether you may get in trouble, all start with the same thing; Reading your papers. They define the type of custody, what you owe and the time you get for custody/visitation periods.

Agreements can be very difficult to remember. It is easy to get confused and is easy to forget. Read them. Is it MY Christmas? Read the papers. Do I owe for the car tags? Read the papers. Is it MY weekend or is it suspended due to an intervening holiday? Read the papers.

If you do not know how much support you owe, read the papers. If you wonder if you have a claim for contempt because so-and-so did not have them back by 5:00 pm, you guessed it, read the papers.

“Read your Papers!” – Matthew Thompson

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney and reads lots of papers and will read yours too.

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

Child Custody, Child Support, Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

How to be a TERRIBLE Person. (11 specific ways you can be mean & hateful.)

12/23/2013 BowTieLawyer 5 Comments

In my profession I get to see a lot of what not to do almost, every day; from videos, texts, and emails to actions and sometimes inaction.

So, I have compiled a list of what terrible people do. If you want to be terrible do these things, in no particular order.

Curse and scream at your spouse, as loud as you can, as often as you can.
Curse and scream at your children.
Make false abuse claims.
Lie about the false abuse claims even when it’s clear they are false.
Bad-mouth your child’s other parent to the child. (Hey, it’s the truth, right!)
Interfere with their time with the child. Just do it. Sure it hurts your child too, that’s what makes it even more terrible.
Abuse your spouse or child. (Any form – all are terrible, some more-so than others.)
Refuse to support your family.
File suit when your ex paid 5 days late, even though they told you. It’s the principal, right?
Threaten to make public private images. (and mean it when you say it, at least in the moment.)
Refuse Christmas visitation. Just because.

There you have it, 11 mean, hate-filled things that you can do to be terrible.

“Oh, and if you don’t want to be terrible don’t do these things.” – Matthew Thompson

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and tries not to do terrible things or give terrible advice.

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

Child Custody, Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Modifications, Opinion

You Are Your Own Worst Enemy!

12/18/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

In Court there are a lot of forces against you. Your spouse or ex-spouse, their attorney, sometimes the Judge, at least seemingly, the GAL, the Court appointed expert all are not looking out for your best interests. But, who is your own worst enemy? Your lawyer? NO!

It’s YOU!

More often than not, when there is a disaster it is due to your own making or at least you are a major contributor. Not following the advice of your lawyer is one of the main factors in you making your case worse. Doing what you want or feel like is another. Deliberately defying a Court Order is never smart either.

So, how do you avoid disaster. Listen. Heed the advice given. Do NOT do things contrary to that advice. If in doubt don’t act, but ask. That alone is worth the price of this blog.

“If in doubt ASK, don’t ACT!” – Matthew Thompson

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney and gives lots of advice on a daily basis.

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

Divorce, General Legal

Mississippi Same-Sex Divorce DENIED.

12/03/2013 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

Mississippi is again in the national news. I blogged recently about a same-sex divorce case pending in Desoto County, Mississippi. The Court has now rendered a verdict.

An apparent reluctant Judge, bound to follow the law as written, denied a divorce to a same-sex couple. The couple, married in California, separated in Mississippi after residing here for several years. Upon separation one party moved to Florida with the other remaining here. The Mississippian initially sought a contested divorce, but it appeared that the parties had come to a settlement for a no-fault (irreconcilable differences) divorce. However, their agreement to divorce was not enough.

Mississippi law, as it currently stands, prohibits the recognition of same-sex marriages in the State. Therefor, if you do not have a marriage, you cannot get a divorce. That is the basic logic that was applied in this instance.

Interestingly, State Attorney General Jim Hood intervened on behalf of the State. The AG’s office argued that the Mississippi Constitution defines marriage as between one man and one woman and that MS has a specific statute that disallows recognizing another state’s same-sex marriage. These arguments carried the day, at least for now.

The Mississippian, denied a divorce, plans to appeal the decision of the Chancellor and will challenge the constitutionality of Mississippi’s laws. The ultimate conclusion will be a balancing of the State’s compelling interest in “protecting” marriage and limitations on who may and may not marry versus an individual’s right to privacy, liberty, and the right to marry.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and domestic relations adj. professor at MC Law; Keeping you abreast of the ever-changing world of family law in which we live in.

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

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal

Protecting Valuables vs. Values; Which is Worth More?

11/26/2013 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

One aspect of my practice that is important to me is the protection of client valuables (assets), but also just as important, if not more so, and often overlooked is protecting client’s values.

Values you say? What kind of divorce attorney cares about values? Well, they do seem to be fewer and far between, but they do exist. An attorney that values a client’s values is a good attorney to have. There are lots of tricks and subterfuge possible in family law. Financial disclosure are by and large based on the oath of the party completing it. Sure there are account statements, but it would be easy to fudge on. One recent case where values succumbed to valuables, the husband “forgot” to disclose he won the lottery 2 months before the divorce was final. Oops. Another, the husband did not disclose multiple houses and a subdivision that were acquired during the marriage. He figured nobody would find out.

So, why are values important? Valuables come and go. You can’t take them with you and all the other materialism clichés apply here. The bottom line is that Values, how you handle yourself in the divorce, how your children see you treating your ex, and how you parent in a divorce situation, matter more than stuff.

Matthew Thompson is an Asset Protection and Family Law Attorney in the Hospitality State and knows that values can be worth far more than valuables.

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

Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Predicting the Future: I see divorce proceedings against this person “?”

11/21/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Drumroll…

In what can be the only story to top anything that Charlie Sheen or Alec Baldwin do is the Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford’s hi-jinks.

As most of you now know, Rob Ford is the embattled Mayor of Toronto who has admitted to smoking crack, while being the Mayor of Toronto. He has publicly proclaimed a “zero tolerance” drug policy, however he has dismissed his own conduct with a very plausible explanation. He was so drunk he did not realize he was smoking crack, nor really remember it. Just as astounding has been his candor and refusal NOT to comment publicly (meaning he talks too much). I assume his attorney is cringing every time he knows that Rob Ford is awake! He has had some extremely colorful quotes – one of which is not fit to reprint, but upon accusations of sexually harassing a female co-worker, Ford denied as much and stated that he had “…more than enough to eat at home.” Wow!

Matthew Thompson is Divorce & Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and has no desire to be Mayor of Anything.

General Legal

Who exactly is THEY?

11/18/2013 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

THEY said that I did not need an attorney. THEY said that he would not get to see the children. THEY said that you cannot get Alimony in Mississippi.

I get calls everyday about what THEY said. I always ask, “Who is THEY?” The answer is always nebulous. It’s their friend’s mom’s sister’s neighbor, who had the world’s “fastest, worst, cheapest, easiest, most difficult, most expensive, most whatever divorce.”

What THEY said can be dangerous, is frequently incomplete and in some instances is just wrong. Their situation was likely vastly different from yours. THEY were in another state, THEY were married twice as long, or for ten minutes. THEY do not have children or THEY have eight and live in a shoe. THEY had a pre-nup and a post-nup. THEY had significant separate assets or a debilitating medical condition. THEY had a lawyer who did not know what he was doing or THEY did not have a lawyer. Maybe, THEY had a great lawyer. Listening to what THEY said is usually a mistake. Listen to the professional YOU know (or are getting to know), that YOU trust and that YOU hired.

Of course, THEY could be right.

Matthew Thompson is a Magnolia State Divorce Attorney cautioning you to be wary of what THEY say.