Category Archives: Opinion

Don’t Set Your Wedding Date before the Divorce is Final

12/22/2016 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Yesterday’s blog regarding not getting re-married on the same day as your divorce inspired some additional excellent advice…

Do NOT set your Wedding Date before the divorce is FINAL.

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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.

(601) 850-8000 Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

divorce, Marriage, Opinion

Don’t get re-Married on the same day that you got Divorced.

12/21/2016 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

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.

(601) 850-8000 Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Child Custody, divorce, Modifications, Opinion

Encourage a Good Relationship! (Co-parenting)

12/13/2016 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

A parent has a moral and legal duty to promote a healthy, affectionate relationship between the child and the other parent!

What? You justify your conduct by saying, “I am not bad-mouthing him.” But, just not bad-mouthing him is not enough. You have an affirmative duty to promote a good relationship. (With rare exceptions for the health and safety of the child.)

Encourage, promote and truly desire a good relationship between your child and the other parent. Your child will benefit!

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law & Divorce Attorney and reminds you that a child with two parents that get along and are involved is better than the alternative.

(601)850-8000 Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

alienation, Child Custody, Child Support, divorce, Grandparent Visitation, Modifications, Opinion, Visitation

Are YOU a Terrible Parent?

12/02/2016 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Food, shelter and clothing are necessities and while providing them is the minimum, doing so alone does not make you a great parent.

Do you encourage a relationship between the child and the other parent?
- Just NOT badmouthing them does not make you a great parent. You should encourage and promote a good relationship. Oh, and it’s required when parties have joint legal custody.
Do you withhold financial support from your child?
- Money isn’t everything, but there is no excuse for not supporting your child.
Do you degrade the other parent to your child?
- “I don’t lie to my child!” 1) Yes, you do. Everyday, to protect them. 2) Telling them how big a scoundrel the other parent is hurts the child. Half of their identity is from that scoundrel!
Do you prevent your child from seeing the other parent or interfere with the visitation?
- Out of sight is NOT out of mind. Absence can make the heart grow fonder…

Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody Lawyer in Mississippi and reminds you to not be a terrible parent.

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.

divorce, General Legal, Opinion

VOTE TOMORROW: Court of Appeals- Jack Wilson vs. Ed Hannan

11/28/2016 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

There is a run-off election tomorrow between the current Court of Appeals Judge Jack Wilson and the current Madison County Court Judge Ed Hannan for the Court of Appeals.

Judge Jack Wilson

You may read about each candidate at the site linked to their pics above. Judge Wilson was in the lead after last Tuesday’s vote, but did not have a majority, hence the runoff.

Judge Wilson was appointed to the Mississippi Court of Appeals by Gov. Phil Bryant effective July 1, 2015. Since joining the Court of Appeals, Judge Wilson has participated in over 500 cases and has authored 78 published majority opinions for the Court — more than any other member of the Court — and another 15 separate opinions. Despite his youthful appearance, Judge Wilson has appellate court chops.

Judge Hannan was first elected Madison County Court Judge in 2006 and was re-elected in 2010 and 2014. As County Court Judge he presides over Youth Court and the Special Court of Eminent Domain. In 2011, he was appointed Special Circuit Judge by the Mississippi Supreme Court to preside over the then newly created Twentieth Circuit District Drug Court for Madison and Rankin Counties. He serves as a Special Circuit Judge and Acting Circuit Judge in criminal and civil cases in Madison County.

This bloggers prediction? Low voter turnout for a run-off, but Jack Wilson takes it. He’s the incumbent and is backed by the majority in power. He’s also a great candidate…

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and would ONLY have a dog in this fight if a Chancery case was appealed.

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

divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Opinion

McLaurin Retains Bench

11/10/2016 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

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.

Chancery Court Judge Chancellor 1

John C. McLaurin, Jr.

Votes 40,998 75.97%

Jim Nix

Votes 12,747 23.62 %

WRITE‐IN Votes (presumptively for Matthew Thompson)

Votes 222 .41%

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

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

#1 Rule for Witnesses

11/10/2016 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Show up.

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.

(601) 850-8000 www.BowTielawyer.MS Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Child Support, divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Always Get a Receipt: Proof of Payment

09/15/2016 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Cash is King, but only when you can prove you paid it!

When a party alleges that the other has not paid their support obligations the Court looks to the payor to prove what was paid, not the payee to prove what was not. In simple terms, if you owed $500 per month in child support and I sued you for contempt and said you had not paid, that’s all I have to do, and the burden shifts to you to prove you did pay what was Ordered and owed. If you cannot prove it, you may be out of luck.

“But I paid cash…,”are famous last words. She is not going to admit that you paid cash or if you did it was because you owed her money, not that it was the child support payment.

Get a receipt. Everytime. Hand write it on notebook paper if you have to. Keep good records. How much was paid and on what date it was paid. Your wallet and your freedom, at least temporarily, may depend on it.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney in Mississippi and advises you to get a receipt.

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