There’s an old story about…

08/29/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

…a lawyer that would raise the “Jolly Roger” outside of his office on days he was in trial. The Jolly Roger was flown to identify a pirate ship about to attack. These were used during the early 18th century (the later part of the “Golden Age of Piracy“).

The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly Roger today, the skull and crossbones symbol on a black flag, was used during the 1710s by a number of pirate captains including Black Sam Bellamy, Edward England, and John Taylor, and it went on to become the most commonly used pirate flag during the 1720s.

The more you know.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and warns you to watch out for the folks flying pirate flags.

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Witnesses, Facts and What you are Told.

08/17/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

You’re entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

Testifying as a witness can be intimidating and scary. However, you do not have to let it get to you. Your job as a witness is to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If you are testifying as a witness it is usually because you know something about the case and can help provide factual information. Your job as a witness, however is not to guess, speculate or even give your opinion, usually.

To be a good witness answer the question asked. Answer it with a “yes” or “no” or “I don’t know.” You may explain if you need to. Be direct. It is usually wise to only answer what is asked and it is also wise not to assume “facts” if you do NOT have personal knowledge of the underlying situation.

Also, someone telling you something does not make it a fact within your personal knowledge, even if they seem like they are telling the truth.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and reminds you to stick to the facts, just the facts.

Divorce, General Legal

You MUST Prove Your Case.

08/15/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Just because someone files something in Court does not make it so.

Allegations must be proven, by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not, or by clear and convincing evidence, which is a much higher burden.

Filing papers is the easy part. Making wild accusations takes little effort. Backing up your claims with corroborating testimony, physical evidence or other support is the hard part.

Before you make a claim think about how you will prove it. Are there witnesses, recordings, photographs, videos, incident reports, police reports, documents or other evidence? If not, perhaps you need to rethink your claim. You may lose credibility with the Court.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and warns you that crying wolf may lead to you getting the result you deserve.

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Just Apologize.

08/02/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Pride goes before the fall…Proverbs 16:18

In life it can be hard to say “I’m sorry,” but those two little words may save a pile of trouble. We’ve all seen prominent, public figures suffer dramatic falls, all seemingly snowballing from a refusal to apologize. It seems sometimes the trouble starts out small and grows bigger as we try to deflect, blame or hide our actions and point the fingers at others.

Perhaps, it is better to look in the mirror and point the finger.

Say “I’m sorry.” What’s the worst that could happen?

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney and is amazed at the lengths that some will go to not apologize.

Opinion

Thought for the Day…

Quote 07/25/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Matthew@BowTieLawyer.MS

(601)850-8000

Appeal, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce, General Legal, Modifications, Visitation

When Court Doesn’t Go your Way…

07/17/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Sometimes Court doesn’t go your way.

Judges make mistakes, witnesses remember it wrong and you may ask for improper relief. But, all is not lost. You have options.

Motion for New Trial. This motion, sometimes referred to as a motion for reconsideration, can provide an avenue for the Judge to correct the mistake. They must be filed within 10 days of the Final Judgment and they are not for a do-over, but to correct a clear error of law or fact.

Appeal. You may appeal any Final Judgment. You have 30 days to do so from the final ruling and if you do a timely Motion for New Trial it resets the appeal clock. Appeals can be cumbersome and daunting. These are to the appellate court, not the Court that decided your case. However, an appeal is based on what happened below, the trial record. It’s not for new happenings.

Modification. Even though your judgment may be final, certain aspects are always modifiable. Custody, support, visitation and certain other payments may be changed by the Court if circumstances warrant it.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce and Appeals lawyer in Mississippi.

Divorce, humor

How are attorneys like sunscreen?

07/11/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

As I am enjoying the sunny skies, crashing waves, and the people it reminds me that you need sunscreen.

Like sunscreen, sometimes you need an attorney. They can be kind of a hassle to deal with and even could be messy, but is protection from a later and potentially bigger problem.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and reminds you to wear your sunscreen & call your divorce attorney.

Child Custody, Divorce, humor, Visitation

Things to do this Weekend.

07/08/2017 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Being a parent is a non-stop challenge of instruction, guidance and entertainment.

It is hard to constantly come up with things to do. Here are some no-cost and low-cost Weekend activities, not too far away.

Picnic.

There are a plethora of parks in the area and most have picnic tables, pavilions and restrooms. It is as easy as a homemade sandwich and chips to a quick stop at the local fast food joint.

These parks also have grills. With a little more effort you can be grilling burgers, dogs or blackened redfish with crispy capers.

Take a Hike.

In addition to the walking trails at most parks there are a few actual hiking trails in the area. The most prominent locally is the Yockanookany. The “Yock” is a 30+ mile trial that runs north and south, beginning just north of the Overlook on the Natchez Trace paralleling the Trace northward for 30 miles. There are multiple spots to get on and off. This trial is primitive, but well-marked.

Mule Jail Trail. Mule Jail is a mountain biking/hiking trail. It is just south and west of the Spillway. It is a well-defined trail that meanders through the woods that are on your right when traveling east over Spillway Road. It’s an easy hike, quick to get to, but feels like your away from it all. Also, Mule Jail has a great history involving an island being formed from a natural peninsula of the Pearl River during the Civil War to protect the farmer’s live stock. The island was known as “Mule Jail.”

Other great hiking info can be found at Hiking in Mississippi, a great resource!

Canoeing/Kayaking.

Mississippi has some amazing rivers, streams and lakes. The Rez has numerous places to launch canoe and kayaks. There are lots of nooks and crannies to explore. There are a few local places that will rent canoes or kayaks, or you may purchase one at the big box retailers.

If you don’t go the rental route, this will be more expensive and more of a hassle. You will need to transport your craft and have the required paddles and life jackets.

Learn Something.

The metro area has numerous museums and attractions. The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Natural Science Museum, Children’s Museum, Agriculture Museum, and Jackson Zoo are all nearby. These are relatively low-cost activities that can consume a half day or more of fun and learning. These are just a few in the area and there are plenty more throughout the state.

Just for Fun.

There are seemingly endless opportunities to just have fun, neat places to explore. A drive through downtown Jackson to see the sights is always a treat. Really. The Capitol, the Old Capitol, the Mississippi Supreme Court building, Governor’s Mansion, all of the “skyscrapers” in Jackson, and just traveling Capitol Street is a treat. Other localities have quaint “downtowns” with shops and farmer’s markets. Canton’s square is famed.

Eating Opportunities.

There are more places to eat in the area than you realize. Local, unique and one-of-a-kind places. There are numerous home-cooking diners, amazing soul food and authentic “foreign” cuisine. Where else can you find a catfish igloo, an old gas station turned-restaurant, an old school turned entertainment destination, and more Mexican places than you can shake a sombrero at?

There are lots of opportunities to have fun, stay on a budget, and make memories that last a lifetime.

Matthew Thompson is a Family and Child Custody Attorney encouraging you to be the best parent you can be.