FaceBook is ubiquitous. It is virtually everywhere.
However, it is NOT for airing your grievances with your significant other. It is NOT where you post how awful the other parent is/was/will be. It is NOT where you share embarrassing pictures, screen grabs of texts, or generally blast the other person.
So, you may ask, where do I get to do those things? Court, maybe. Or, maybe you don’t do those things.
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and cringes when he sees this junk on FB and maybe smirks.
Do NOT set your Wedding Date before the divorce is FINAL.
Obviously, you cannot get re-married if you have a pending divorce. However, you should not set the date to marry your one, true beloved, counting on the divorce to go through from your demented, soon-to-be-ex on time, every time.
Divorce is not Amazon Prime. There is no guaranty that it will be there with next day shipping. In fact, routinely, something occurs to delay the process. A signature page was left blank or someone forgot to notarize all of the documents. Sometimes the Court is not available on day 61 to enter it and sometimes people change their minds.
Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi divorce attorney and advises you to wait until the divorce is final before setting the date for wedded bliss.
Finding that one, true soulmate is magical. However, it does not mean you should immediately marry them.
Do not get married to your true love on the same day that you got divorced from the first mistake. Just don’t. Yes it’s legal, assuming the divorce was done right. But, it makes your anniversary also your divorceaversary. While starting anew is a great thing. Starting anew a little bit slower is a better thing.
Matthew Thompson is a divorce lawyer and wants you to get re-married, but does not think you should do it on the same day that your divorce became final.
Sitting Chancery Judge John McLaurin cruised to victory in Tuesday’s election, garnering over 75% of the vote. No small feat since about half of the time one litigant in his Courtroom could easily end up very dissatisfied. The citizens of Rankin County did well to retain Judge McLaurin.
If you have Court and your testimony matters, show up. If the issues before the Court impact you in a “bigly” manner, show up. Rarely is a good outcome achieved in your absence, and no amount of explanation will be sufficient if you weren’t there to witness it for yourself.
When you do show up, tell the truth.
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and reminds you that 99% of the time that good results are earned, it is, in part, due to the fact that you showed up.
You’ve tried it your way multiple times and are still getting the same results. Give it a rest.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Life does not always go as planned. Rolling with the punches is sometimes necessary. But if you find yourself in the same predicament again and again, stop.
I routinely hear of issues between persons that continue to come up. If you find yourself in that situation stop what you’re doing.
You are in the fight of your life against the one person who promised before God and everybody to always love and cherish you. Where’s the love now?
But dragging others into the fight may be the wrong move. I routinely see parents wanting to bring the kids in to testify, while stating that they do not want to bring the kids in to testify. Kind of a sorry-not sorry attitude.
Child testimony is permissible. There are some Gate-keeping obligations of the Court to apply prior to actual testimony being allowed. There are also various methods used by various Judges on taking child testimony. However, more basic than the trustworthiness of the testimomy and whether it should be in chambers or in open Court, is whether the child should be in that position at all.
The Mississippi Supreme Court stated, “We reiterate that parents in a divorce proceeding should if at all possible refrain from calling any of the children of their marriage…as witnesses, and counsel should advise their clients against doing so except in the most exigent cases.” Jethrow v. Jethrow, 571 So. 2d 270, 274 (Miss. 1990).
If there are not exigent circumstances, i.e.; abuse, criminal activity involving the child, physically dangerous activity and there is no other means to corroborate these facts, testimony may be required, but if it’s run of the mill dad did this or didn’t do that, or dad let the girlfriend give her a makeover, or mom’s boyfriend took them to Chik-fil-a, and these persons are not dangerous persons nor prohibited from being around per a Court Order, child testimony should be avoided.
Think about it from the child’s perspective, not your own. Your job is to do what is best for them, every time.
Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody attorney and cautions you on relying on child testimony when it’s not necessary.
However, sometimes you cannot forget and you may have a daily reminder in the living room. You are left with 3 options:
You can choose to forgive.
You can choose NOT to forgive.
You can BURN the Couch.
Forgiveness takes time, choosing not to forgive takes a commitment, burning the couch takes a lighter.*
Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi Divorce Attorney and reminds you that if you are going to burn the couch, do so outside, in a safe manner and in full compliance of all applicable laws.*
Follow the blog: BowTieLawyerVisit 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
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