Merry Christmas!

Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms  (601)850-8000

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

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.

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(601) 850-8000            Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

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

Finding that one, true soulmate is magical. However, it does not mean you should immediately marry them.

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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

Encourage a Good Relationship! (Co-parenting)

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

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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

“Sir, Yes, Sir.” The Military is Respected in Custody Courts.

Our Military service personnel deal with serious family law issues which can be made more difficult due to their military service.  Being subject to activation, deployment, required training, frequent moves and dangerous activities add to making circumstances more difficult.

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However, Mississippi has specific protections for military parents.

 MCA 93-5-34, provides an efficient process to resolve custody matters when dealing with a military parent.  Upon such circumstances of a custodial parent serving, the statute provides that the other parent will have custody, but that custody ends within 10 days of the former custodial parent returning from service.

Additionally, it provides that the serving parent shall have reasonable access for phone and video visits.  The deployed member may also delegate visitation to their own family members.  These types of military custody cases receive priority by the Courts to be heard and the serving parent may “attend” via affidavit or electronic means where possible.

Lastly, a parent’s service cannot be used against that parent upon their return for a custody modification by the other parent.

Matthew Thompson is a Military Divorce Attorney in Mississippi.  

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

Are YOU a Terrible Parent?

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

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  • 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.

Attorney Kelly Williams certified as a Child Welfare Law Specialist .

Kelly G. Williams is the first attorney in the state of Mississippi to be certified as a Child Welfare Law Specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC).

7726k williams-2.jpgThis certification requires an applicant to pass a rigorous examination. The NACC Certification Program is the only program approved and accredited by the American Bar Association to certify attorneys as Child Welfare Law Specialists. Millions of children are the subjects of judicial proceedings each year as victims of abuse and neglect; juvenile offenders; subjects of custody, visitation and adoption proceedings; and as participants in civil damages litigation. NACC recognizes that the adversarial system works best when all interested parties are competently represented and one the goals of the NACC is to improve the lives of children and families through competent representation to ensure that judicial proceedings produce justice. (naccchildlaw.org)

Kelly may be reached at 601-982-1111 or kelly@coughlinwilliamslaw.com http://www.coughlinwilliamslaw.com.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi. 

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

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

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 Ed Hannan

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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, Child Custody & Support, Alimony, Contempt, Modification, Adoption, Appeals, Corporate Counsel, Professional Licensure Issues, and Civil Litigation.