Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

The #1 Reason Why Friends Vanish During Your Divorce.

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Sure, you may be losing a spouse, but you still have your friends, right?

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Divorces are hard, messy, time-consuming, energy and money draining. They impact not only your relationship with your spouse and children, but also your relationships with your friends.

Friends, all of a sudden, become witnesses.  That time that Jimmy drank too much at the BBQ and screamed and cursed at you.  Well, Paul witnessed the whole thing, thought Jimmy was out of line and even said as much. It made him wonder what Jimmy was like behind closed doors. But, given some time and the threat of a witness subpoena and Paul does not really “remember” exactly who said what.

When Maggie finds out she may be deposed about what you told her, she all of a sudden is an expert on hearsay and probably won’t be allowed to testify anyway…

The #1 reason on why friends vanish…THEY DO NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED.

They do not want your problems to become their problems.  They do not want to “pick sides.”  They may be willing to be there for moral support, but when faced with Court, and cross examination – most would prefer not to.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney and reminds you that friends don’t let friends go into Court unprepared.

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.

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Child Custody, Divorce

What you “Lose” in a Divorce.

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There’s an old joke about “What do you get if you play a Country music song backwards?“

“You get your wife back, your house back and your dog back.“

Similarly, there are things you potentially can “lose” in a divorce, such as;

  • Your Spouse.
  • Your home, possibly.
  • 1/2 of your retirement.
  • Unfettered access to your children.

There are also things you can potentially lose, which you may not even realize, such as;

  • Your Church, through the ability or comfort to continue attending.
  • Your Financial Security.
  • Your Friends – they either don’t want to get involved or they pick the other side…

Divorces can be messy, stressful, time consuming and costly and there are costs beyond time and finances.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Lawyer in Mississippi and advises you to consider the true costs of a divorce.

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.

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Modifications, Opinion

Leaked Photos!

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The headlines have been abuzz of leaked celebrity photos in compromising positions, including Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton.

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However, celebrities aren’t the only targets of this type of conduct.  All too often these are threatened to be made public or sent to your mother by your former significant other when pitted against one another in a heated divorce or custody case.  You mean your soul-mate may turn on you?  In a second!

In addition to being embarrassing the pictures can influence a Court’s determination on contributions to the stability of the marriage and custody.  I am not saying you lose your kids because you took naughty photos, but depending on what they depict and whether they include illegal activity they may well impact your case and may also impact negotiations. You may settle for less than you should to prevent them from being used.

So, how do I keep these from being used against me? Easy, don’t allow them to exist in the first place.

What if they already do?  Tread carefully…

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Lawyer in Mississippi and cautions you to NOT put yourself in compromising positions.

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.

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General Legal, Opinion

The Dirtiest Secret of Lawyer Advertising!

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“One call.  That’s all.”

Gone are the days when Lawyers do not advertise.  While some lawyers still think it’s a faux pas, most accept that lawyer’s advertising is just like any other industry and to some extent is a public service…

Regardless of whether or not you approve of lawyer advertising it is here to stay. However, there is one trap to be careful to avoid;

  • Bought and Paid for Search Rankings.

I get numerous Search Engine Optimization (SEO) proposals every week.  These groups claim they can have me at the top of Google searches, for a fee, in any legal category I choose. The SEO people Google specific terms and if you are not in the top 5, or on the first page, then the solicitations come. Sometimes you may even be on the first page organically and they still try to solicit you.

So what does this mean for you, the person looking for a lawyer? Be careful. Just because a lawyer shows up on your search does not mean he/she is the one for you or that they even handle the type of case you have.  Read more on How to Hire an Attorney.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi cautioning you to do your research before you hire an attorney.

Follow the blog: BowTieLawyer 

You may also contact Matthew with your family law case, question or concern at 

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Bow Tie, Opinion

Happy National Bow Tie Day!!

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August 28th is a memorable day each year for the recognition of the Bow Tie!

Notable Bow Tie Wearers

  • Abraham Lincoln

  • Franklin Roosevelt

  • Theodore Roosevelt

  • Winston Churchill

  • John Paul Stevens

  • Albert Einstein

  • Sigmund Freud

  • Humphrey Bogart

  • Frank Sinatra

  • Charlie Chaplin

  • Orville Redenbacher

  • Bill Nye

  • James Bond

  • Barney Fife

  • Donald Duck

  • The Cat in the Hat

  • Matthew Thompson

Matthew Thompson is a Bow Tie tying Lawyer in Mississippi and encourages you to learn to tie a bow tie!

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.

Opinion, Uncategorized

Pet Peeve of the Day: I’ve Met You 5 Times…

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I usually remember people…

Recently I “met” a man who I have previously met 4 times.

The first time was at a (1) community lunch that we both attended. We sat beside each other talked about our professions and several things we had in common. It was nice.  The second time was (2) two weeks later at a similar event, again sitting at the same table for lunch.  There was a vague memory of the first lunch.  The third time was (3) again at lunch, but this time by happenstance. It was as if we had never met.  The fourth time was at (4) a Wednesday night dinner at church.  We sat immediately next to each other and I intentionally had a “memorable” conversation about Jack Black singing gospel songs.  Who could forget that?

The fifth time (5) was just the other day…

I’m not sure what this means. I’m not sure if I should be offended, or not care, or treat it as proof that “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” is just not true.  In any event, I recommend that you try to remember people and remember meeting them.

The one final take away is that on all of these occasions I was NOT wearing a bow tie.  Perhaps I am not myself sans bow tie.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Litigation Lawyer in Mississippi, the Hospitality State and is recommitting to the bow tie.

Follow the blog: BowTieLawyer

You may also contact Matthew with your family law case, question or concern at (601) 850-8000

Child Custody, Child Support

Tell Your Kids You Love Them!

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Make sure your children know that you love them, unconditionally. Do it today.

(601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms.

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Divorce, Marriage

First Recorded Divorce in the U.S. (Colonies, actually)

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In the Quarter Court of Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Anne Clarke                                                                              Plaintiff

vs.                                                                                          1643-0001

Denis Clarke                                                                          Defendant

Complaint for Divorce

       COMES NOW, Anne Clark, a resident of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and files this her Complaint for Divorce and Other Relief, and would respectfully show unto this honorable Court, as follows;

      1.  Plaintiff, Anne Clarke, alleges as her ground for divorce Uncondoned Adultery and/or Abandonement…

History.com and the Nottage and Ward Blog note the first recorded divorce in the American colonies involved Anne and Denis Clarke of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  In January 1643, a divorce was granted by the Quarter Court of Boston on the ground that Denis abandoned Anne to be with another woman.

In a signed affidavit, Denis confessed his actions. There were two children of the marriage and Dennis sired two children with his paramour. He also refused to return to Anne. The Quarter Court of Boston granted the divorce to Anne based on Denis’ conduct.

Divorce, it’s been here at least 371 years…

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Attorney in Mississippi and can help make your marriage History.

(601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms.

 

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