Attorney Reviews and throwing Stones…

10/06/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Attorneys are easy targets for social media/rating review site criticism.

108 Person Throwing Stone Hand Stock Photos - Free & Royalty-Free ...

Sure, we can pay $450.00 dollars and get a plaque that says we are the Top Ten Bestest Attorneys in the Universe, but it’s easy for anyone to put hate out there too.

Yelp reviews, Facebook comments and all the other review/rating websites make it very easy to attack.

Ever wonder why reviews go largely unresponded to, or at best some generic, canned PC response?

It’s because lawyers can get in trouble for telling the truth!!

A recent Mississippi Bar Opinion even opines it an ethical violation to respond to an online complaint.

This, even if the client (now former client) makes the posting and discloses confidential information. They have the right to do that. The attorney in only limited circumstances can respond…

https://www.msbar.org/media/e3tkbi1x/et-op-268.pdf

Click to access et-op-268.pdf

MS Bar Opinion #268

So just because you see a review doesn’t make it true. And, just because it was NOT immediately challenged with “receipts” doesn’t mean there’s something there.

Matthew Thompson is a lawyer that represents other lawyers with accusations of ethical violations.

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Divorce

Is Winning Your Appeal a Win?

09/22/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

“I’ll take this all the way to the Supreme Court!”

A fair amount of family law cases are appealed in Mississippi. All are appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court, most are assigned to the Mississippi Court of Appeals (COA). This means the COA will decide your appeal.

An appeal, typically, does not result in an outright win. Most appeals are denied, as the chancery courts in Mississippi have a tremendous amount of discretion. There must be a showing of abuse of discretion and/or manifest error for an appeal to be successful. But, even then it may only be a paper victory.

An appellate win usually results in a remand. Meaning sent back to the same Judge for a new hearing on the issue(s) that the lower Court got wrong, and it’s usually with instruction on what and how to try the matter.

This often results in delay, more court and frequently no actual change in the outcome. The other tough thing in family law appeals is that time marches on.

The appeal of a custody matter could look vastly different two-years later and the Court, while “correcting” the past error, cannot ignore the now-current circumstances.

Be carefully with appealing your case. Talk to your attorney about potential outcomes and whether or not it will change the result.

Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi appeals attorney and has participated in over 30 appeals.

General Legal

Must Show ID when Operating a Vehicle MCA 63-1-41 in Mississippi.

08/05/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

I know my rights…or do you?

Every licensee shall have the required license in his immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle and shall display the same, upon demand…of a peace officer or… or other authorized employee of the commissioner.

However, no person charged with violating this section shall be convicted if he produces in court a license theretofore issued to him and valid at the time of his arrest.

Codes, 1942, § 8108; Laws, 1938, ch. 143; Laws, 1985, ch. 376, § 16, eff. 7/1/1985.

Divorce

Coldplay is a cold play – Uh Oh …

07/18/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

These photos are still shots of a video taken at a recent Coldplay concert. A couple, caught up in a moment, got caught in the moment…allegedly.

Lead singer, Chris Martin is heard saying “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy…Holy sh-t. I hope we didn’t do something bad,”

As the internet is known to do, online comments are all atwitter!

“Cost of a concert: Hotel $200, tickets $600, food/drinks $150, divorce attorney $50,000. Getting exposed by Coldplay having an affair with your co-worker: priceless,” wrote Instagram user Trustfundterry.

One X user claimed that Byron’s wife had dropped her married name from her Facebook profile, and didn’t restrict people from making comments. Source. https://nypost.com/2025/07/17/us-news/couple-caught-on-kiss-cam-at-coldplay-concert-dodges-out-of-sight-as-chris-martin-wonders-if-theyre-having-an-affair/

This video and story has gone viral for all of the wrong reasons!

Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi divorce attorney and advises 1) do not have an affair and 2) if you are going to anyway, be discreet.

Divorce

Ferraez In CUSTODY!

07/14/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Local Hattiesburg Attorney Corey Ferraez was taken into custody for civil contempt today after an on-the-record-hearing in Forrest County before Judge Sheila Smallwood.

Ferraez was held in Civil Contempt for being found to have knowingly and willfully violated a valid Chancery Court Order requiring that he tender settlement proceeds from a wrongful death/estate matter unto the registry of the Court.

The widow of the estate, Ms. Weatherford, was present and testified at the hearing as was Mr. Ferraez. Hat tip to the Hattiesburg Patriot which Facebook Live – streamed the entire hearing. Mr. Ferraez sought to exclude the media at the outset of the Hearing and the Court denied this ore tenus motion.

Mr. Ferraez argued before the Court that he had substantially complied with the Court’s Order when he recently tendered some $215,000.00 of $450,000.00 ordered. Ferraez argued that he was entitled to a recovery of attorney’s fees and there were liens and pre-settlement payments to Ms. Weatheford, that when totaled up justified his figures. He also alleged to be having personal issues related to depression and substance abuse.

The Court reminded Mr. Ferraez that the Court, and Weatherford, had been seeking to get this matter resolved since Fall of 2024, that Ferraez was non responsive to the Court, missed Court appearances and never tendered all of the sums ordered. The Court was not unsympathetic, however the Court expects and requires that it’s Orders be complied with and followed.

Mr. Ferraez was taken into custody by the Perry County Sheriff, as the case was originally filed in Perry County.

One of the most interesting issues in this case is that Mr. Ferraez has the keys to the jail cell he is in. All he has to do is comply with the Court’s Order to be released from civil contempt. The Court Ordered that he is to be incarcerated until he pays the outstanding $195,000.00 +/- unto the registry of the Court.

Matthew Thompson is a family law/civil law attorney in Mississippi and shines the light on unethical and illegal conduct when it needs to be; whether it’s a Judge, a party or a lawyer.

Crime, Divorce, General Legal, humor

Dueling in Mississippi, Illegal since the 1800s…

07/08/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

MS Code § 97-39-1 (2024)

It seems we pine for yesteryear when men were gentlemen. Well, guess what? They weren’t!!

Disputes were resolved with a fight to the death. Political rhetoric was uglier then than now and physical altercations were certainly more prevalent then than now between candidates.

Mississippi law provided then (and now),

“Every person who shall challenge another to a duel…or who shall accept any such challenge…or who shall be present at the time of any duel with deadly weapons, either as second, aid, or surgeon, …or give assistance to such duel, shall, on conviction thereof, be fined in a sum not less than $300.00 nor exceeding $1,000.00…, or be imprisoned not less than 6-months in the county jail, or both.”

Codes, Hutchinson’s 1848, ch. 64, art. 9(1); 1857, ch. 64, art. 51; 1871, § 2531; 1880, § 2745; 1892, § 1036; 1906, § 1114; Hemingway’s 1917, § 840; 1930, § 865; 1942, § 2091.

The good ‘ol’ days weren’t that good and hopefully we can learn from the past and not repeat mistakes (and worse…)

Also, a duel is no way to settle divorce matters!

Matthew Thompson is a family law and child welfare attorney in Mississippi, a student of history and continues to learn from the past.

Crime, General Legal, Opinion

Hattiesburg’s Most Wanted

06/30/2025 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

Attorney, Corey Ferraez is being pursued by law enforcement and has a warrant for his arrest for Civil Contempt. This is circulating the blogosphere in Hattiesburg and the Jackson area.

This all stemmed from a wrongful death matter and the corresponding estate matter. See Weatherford, Stephen Ray “Fuzzy” 56CH1:22-pr-00021-SM

Ferraez was the attorney for the estate and settled the wrongful death claim for $450,000.00. These sums were to be held in trust until the Court approved the settlement, attorney fees, disbursement and liens were handled.

Delays for various reasons caused the matter to drag on. Eventually the Court set a hearing and required Ferraez to attend. He did not.

Thereafter, the Court entered a Show Cause Order requiring Ferraez to attend, explain why he should not be held in contempt and to tender all of the $450,000.00 into the registry of the Court.

Ferraez did not attend this hearing and did not pay any sums by the date of the hearing.

In a surprising turn of events however, he did file a response with the Court, indicated he had been ill, and eventually tendered about $215,000.00 of the $450,000.00, claiming the difference in the value was due to attorneys fees and liens (or loans) that the client took out against the settlement. This was surprising because the attorney filed a response with the Court despite not appearing.

It also came to light that he had previously written a $25,000.00 check to the client that bounced for insufficient funds.

Regardless of anything else, this does not end well for Mr. Ferraez.

He will have to answer to the Court for the handling of the proceeds, the Mississippi Bar about concerns of unethical conduct and very likely criminal ramifications…Mr. Ferraez should turn himself in as time is not on his side.

*In criminal courts a defendant enjoys a presumption of innocence. Civil Courts have a differing standard. Refusal to appear, answer, cooperate can and will be used against you.

All lawyers that handle “unearned fees” are required to have Trust accounts with banks. These Trust account records are relatively easy to obtain and determine when monies came in, when they went out, where they went and what is left, if anything…

Matthew Thompson is a family law/civil law attorney in Mississippi and acknowledges unethical and illegal conduct when it needs to be; whether it’s a Judge, a party or a lawyer.