Tag Archives: attorney

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal

You Do NOT Have a Right to an (appointed) Attorney…in a Divorce

Leave a comment

The 6th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees you the right to an attorney and a speedy trial, but this is concerning Criminal prosecutions…NOT divorce.

In divorce cases and most Family Law cases you do NOT have the right to a court appointed attorney.

The exception, Termination of Parental Rights cases, is only after a showing of financial inability.

The other time there’s a Court-Appointed Attorney, a Guardian Ad Litem, the parties still typically have to pay for that person from their own pockets and they represent the child, or more often are an investigative arm of the Court.

Do you need an attorney? Yes. Will the Court give you one? Probably not.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney in Mississippi.

Divorce, General Legal

Do I Need a Lawyer?

Leave a comment

“Do I NEED a Lawyer?”  If you are asking whether you need a lawyer, usually the answer is “Yes,” you need a lawyer!

images.jpg

So, how do you know you NEED a lawyer?

  • When you have been sued.  If you have been served papers or if there is an active lawsuit you need to see a lawyer.
  • When you have been seriously injured and it was not your fault.  This applies to car wrecks, but it also applies to any injury.
  • When you have been arrested.  Law Enforcement involvement is usually a significant sign that you need an attorney.
  • When there are significant risks involved.  Lawyers are trained to identify and attempt to minimize risk.

Thinking that talking to a lawyer it may make the issue more serious is a fallacy.  While it may make the issue some .  Their goal is to advise you, help you, and/or defend you from whatever harm is at issue.  Knowing your rights, being prepared, and being fully informed are never negatives to self-preservation.

…I need a lawyer. How do I find one?  (click)

If you think you need a lawyer, You Do.  If you are asking yourself, or others, if you need a lawyer, You Do.

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

Divorce, General Legal

Attorneys are Like Used Cars

2 Comments

Used car salesmen, stock brokers and door-to-door salespersons have tough reputations, at least the internet says so.

Well, what about attorneys? Lawyers represent the 4th highest rank of depression for any given career.  Attorneys are like used cars.  Some are shiny and look great on the outside, but are held together with JB Weld and duct tape on the inside.  Some look rough and haggard, but can get the job done in an economical fashion.  Some are much more expensive than necessary, but it’s your choice.  Some are just not equipped to get the job done.  Given this, how do you know what you are getting?

  • Ask.  Ask your friends, family and neighbors who they used? How was their experience?
  • Inspect.  You interview the lawyer as much as they interview you. Can they explain the law in terms you understand?
  • Listen.  Are they telling you just what you want to hear?

As Forrest Gump said, “You never know what you are going to get.” But, with a little homework and due diligence you can avoid getting a lemon.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Litigation Attorney in Mississippi and warns you to avoid the Lemon Lawyer.

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

Child Custody, Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Pets

It’s NOT the Lawyer’s Fault that You Don’t See Your Kids

1 Comment

But, for that d@#^lawyer!

rakratchada/ freedigitalphotos.net

I hear this a lot.  “My life was great until my lying ex and her d@#^ Attorney messed it all up!”

Right.

It was all peachy until you;

  • Had an Affair; or
  • Physically Assaulted Your Spouse; or
  • Habitually Abused Illegal Drugs; or
  • Threatened Physical Violence; or
  • Took Your Children and Refused to Return Them or Disclose Their Location; or
  • Refused to Support Your Family; or
  • All of the Above, and then some…

Is life fair? Certainly NOT.  Do your actions directly impact the quality of that life? You better believe it. So maybe your lying ex and her d@#^ attorney are NOT totally to blame.

  • Do What has Been Ordered of You
  • Be the Best Parent you Can be
  • Don’t Threaten, Harass, or Make False Allegations

Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody Litigation Attorney in Mississippi and believes that you reap what you sow.

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, Child Support, Crime, Opinion, Visitation

How NOT to Hire an Attorney.

1 Comment

Desperate times call for desperate measures, but don’t take things too far..

img_4713

A recent Craigslist add was seeking to raise funds via a non-traditional manner. Organ sales.  However, this is not your grandmother’s musical instrument.  The ad stated, in part;

I am a healthy active 37yr old, 6′ tall white man of strong european bloodline. I am drug a disease free and have two healthy kidneys and all I have left to sell is one of them. I have been going through custody battles for the last 4 years and am flat tapped out of money and property left to sell. My son is my one true love and his mother wont be happy or stop lying until Im out of the picture and she is being helped by a devious liar of an attorney. I wont give up on my son and am willing to do what it takes to stand up for him. I have to give my attorney some money and this is all I can come up with. I am employed and have a job I love, but I need to lay down thousands of dollars at this point, attornies are not cheap. Please help. Call ****** ***-***-**** ALL EMAILS WILL BE DELETED. Thanks.

I do NOT know if the above is legit or not and I assume it is not.  Sacrificing your health and potentially your life is not the way to “win” custody. Also, organ sales are illegal in the U.S.  The National Organ Transplant Act (1984 Pub.L. 98–507), approved October 19, 1984 and amended in 1988 and 1990, outlawed the sale of human organs and provided for the establishment of the Task Force on Organ Transplantation; authorized the Department of Health and Human Services to make grants for the planning, establishment, and initial operation of qualified Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs); and established the formation of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

Don’t sell your organs to hire or pay for your attorney.  There are other solutions if you are completely tapped-out, but this ain’t it.  Read about options if you cannot afford an attorney here.

Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi Family Law attorney and cautions those in legal situations, not to make their circumstances worse.

Follow the blog:#BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm  You may also contact Matthew with your family law matter or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

How to Be a Reasonable Client.

1 Comment

On the heels of “Signs of an Unreasonable Client” comes the counter, so you know how to be a reasonable client.

  1. Listen to your Attorney. You hired them, now listen.
  2. Ask if you Don’t Understand. We can sometimes fall into the trap of speaking in legalese and assume you get it you aren’t indicating otherwise.
  3. Pay Your Bill.  That is how attorneys make money and all attorneys are not as rich as they want you to think.
  4. If you Have an Issue with us, Let us Know.  Don’t tell someone else about your concerns and not allow the attorney a chance to address it.
  5. Don’t Ignore your Attorney.  One of the worst things you can do is go off the grid and not communicate.
  6. Don’t Text Incessantly. It’s great for “running 10 minutes late” or “the date is Aug. 4,” otherwise call or email.
  7. Don’t Email when a Call is Better. Somethings you just have to talk about.
  8. Don’t Abuse the Cell Phone.  Do NOT abuse the cell phone.

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Lawyer in Mississippi and encourages all clients to be reasonable.

Follow the blog:#BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm  You may also contact Matthew with your family law matter or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

 

Divorce, General Legal

Don’t Call Your Attorney Over Lunch…if you can help it.

Leave a comment

Sometimes it cannot be helped.  But, more often than not, calling during lunch is not necessary and will not get you the answer you need anyway.

Attorneys are people too.  They need some down time.

Issues, especially in Family Law, do not always occur between 9-5, M-F. I get that. However, you do not need to call your attorney at lunch time to tell him that your ex commented on another person’s FaceBook post and while it looked innocuous to the common observer it was really a dig at you because he added a 😉 emoticon.  The audacity!

Use good judgement in contacting your attorney outside of normal hours and you will get the help you need when you need it.

Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody and Family Law Attorney and reminds you to NOT be the boy that cried wolf …

Follow the blog:#BowTieLawyer Visit the website: #Thompson Law Firm  You may also contact Matthew with your family law matter or question at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms

 

General Legal

Who exactly is THEY?

Leave a comment

THEY said that I did not need an attorney.  THEY said that he would not get to see the children.  THEY said that you cannot get Alimony in Mississippi.

take_a_horse_they_said_540

I get calls everyday about what THEY said.  I always ask, “Who is THEY?”  The answer is always nebulous.  It’s their friend’s mom’s sister’s neighbor, who had the world’s “fastest, worst, cheapest, easiest, most difficult, most expensive, most whatever divorce.”

What THEY said can be dangerous, is frequently incomplete and in some instances is just wrong.  Their situation was likely vastly different from yours.  THEY were in another state, THEY were married twice as long, or for ten minutes.  THEY do not have children or THEY have eight and live in a shoe.  THEY had a pre-nup and a post-nup.  THEY had significant separate assets or a debilitating medical condition.  THEY had a lawyer who did not know what he was doing or THEY did not have a lawyer.  Maybe, THEY had a great lawyer.  Listening to what THEY said is usually a mistake.  Listen to the professional YOU know (or are getting to know), that YOU trust and that YOU hired.

Of course, THEY could be right.

Matthew Thompson is a Magnolia State Divorce Attorney cautioning you to be wary of what THEY say.

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