by Sophia Paffenroth March 25, 2026
See Sophia Paffenroth’s article in Mississippi Today about a proposed Joint Custody Bill.
Paffenroth conferred with multiple attorneys, professors and persons/clients who all wrestled with custody issues…
Paffenroth’s article, in full, is linked above and the proposed Bill, in full is linked below.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody attorney in Mississippi and does think Joint Custody could be in the best interest of the child in certain circumstances…
At 18 you can vote; Join the military without parental consent and buy a rifle or shotgun…but you are not an Adult for Mississippi law purposes.
MS Code § 1-3-21 (2025), defines [t]he term “infant,” when used in any statute, shall include any person, male or female, under twenty-one years of age.
Recent legislation died in committee trying to bring Mississippi in-line with every other state. Most states consider a child an adult when they attain the age of 18 or 19 if still attending high school.
In Mississippi, that age is 21. That means child support is until 21.
There are some exceptions where a child can lose that status by joining the military, getting married, going to prison, or moving from home and working full-time. This is called emancipation.
So, Mississippi is unique for reasons that may not make us so special…
Matthew Thompson is a family law and child welfare attorney and has supported common sense changes in Mississippi family law and is still holding out hope that some may come to fruition…one day.
Joint Custody is en vogue. A law requiring equally shared parenting time is back before the Mississippi legislature…
House Bill 1662 includes the following; There shall be a rebuttable presumption that joint custody and equally shared parenting time is in the best interest of the child.
If the court grants joint custody and equally shared parenting time, the court shall construct a parenting time schedule which maximizes the time each parent has with the child and ensures the best interest of the child is met.
(ii) The presumption created in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall be rebuttable by a preponderance of the evidence.
A court that does not award joint custody with equally shared parenting time shall document the reasons for deviating from the presumption.
The Joint Custody bill also includes a Child Support formula:
(b) To calculate child support for joint custody with equally shared parenting time, unless the court determines a deviation from this paragraph is in the best interest of the child, the court shall:
(i) Calculate a child-support award under the guidelines of Section 43-19-101 for each parent as if each parent was the obligor;
(ii) Calculate the difference in the two (2) awards by subtracting the lesser award from the larger award; and
(iii) Order the difference in the two (2) awards to be paid by the parent who has the higher adjusted gross income to the parent with the lower adjusted gross income.
(c) Upon petition of both parents, the court may grant legal and/or physical custody to one (1) parent without documenting a reason for deviation.
Senate Bill 2027 tracks the House Bill.
This iteration was kicked around last year and was scuttled at the last minute.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody attorney in Mississippi and does think Joint Custody could be in the best interest of the child in certain circumstances…
Hinds County Attorney, Bridgett Clayton, has qualified to run for Hinds County Chancery Judge!
“After much prayer and consideration, I am honored and excited to announce that I qualified for Hinds County Chancery Court Judge, District 5-3, on today.”
“I am ready to serve the citizens of Hinds County with God serving as a Lamp unto my feet and the Light unto my path as I seek election for this judicial seat to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before my God. Micah 6:8”
I am requesting your prayers and support during the campaign as well as on Election Day which is November 3.
Please be on the lookout for future campaign information. Thank You!
Matthew Thompson is a Chancery practitioner and knows-well the power, authority and responsibility that Chancellor’s have and the knowledge and wisdom they should possess. Attorney Bridgett Clayton has all of those qualities and then-some!
Please support Bridgett Clayton for Hinds County Chancellor!
Interestingly, Mississippi passed the Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights in 2023. This session, 2026, proposes a Non-Custodial Parent’s Bill of Rights.
The Noncustodial Parents’ Bill of Rights and Responsibilities which shall be provided to all noncustodial parents.
The Department of Human Services shall extend the following rights to noncustodial parents:
This is not a sea-change, nor profound. The non-custodial parent is already entitle to notice, the right to counsel, the right to information, notice of meetings and decisions. The last item, the ability to communicate 24/7 seems unreasonable, but maybe that just means you can leave a message or send an email. Who knows?
Non-custodial parents already have rights! **Of note, there has yet to pass a Parent’s Bill of Rights in Mississippi law** However, even without that, parent’s have a fundamental right, guaranteed by the US Constitution to raise their child as they see fit.
Matthew Thompson is custody attorney in Mississippi and has represented hundreds of moms and dads in family courts throughout the state.
Getting divorced allows the Government into your life!
Getting divorced happens. It can be relatively easy or it can be one of the most difficult times of your life. However, the impact can also last a lot longer than the few months or the few years of the litigation.
The Court has the authority to make you pay child support. And in Mississippi, that can last until the child turns 21. The age is NOT 18 and it cannot be, even by agreement.
Additionally, the Court could make you pay for college, even beyond age 21.
The Court can make you pay for health insurance and non-covered medical expenses, like co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision, and all out-of-pocket expenses.
The Court can make you pay for extracurricular activities; sports, dance, cheer and scouts. The Court can make you pay for daycare, after care, summer care and school expenses.
Cars, cell phones and private school expenses are usually not Ordered but under certain circumstances the Court could.
The Court can obligate you to hundreds and even thousands of dollars $$ per month that are to be paid or you might even go to JAIL!!
Interestingly, we really don’t contemplate any of these potential obligations when we get married…
Matthew Thompson is a child custody and child support attorney in Mississippi.
“Ethan’s, Hailey’s, and Bentley’s Law“1 requires a sentencing court to order a defendant who has been convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication, and in which the victim of the offense was the parent of a minor child, to pay restitution in the form of child maintenance to each of the victim’s children until each child reaches 18 years of age and has graduated from high school.
Cecilia Williams , grandmother of, Bentley Williams, 5, and Mason Williams, 3, is raising her grandchildren after their parents were killed April 13, 2021, in a drunk-driving accident in Missouri.
Since her family members’ deaths, Williams has worked to get legislation called Bentley’s Law passed in Tennessee and several other states, including attempts in Missouri, that requires those convicted of driving while intoxicated to pay compensation to families affected by a drunk-driving death.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill on May 25, 2022.
Along with Tennessee, Bentley’s Law has also been introduced in Missouri, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma. Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Kansas, Arkansas, Delaware, Wisconsin, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Texas and Utah have stated plans to introduce similar laws during 2023 sessions.
David G. Thurby, 26, of Fenton, TN was charged and convicted of three counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the fatal accident in Byrnes Mill, Missouri.
After the fatal accident on April 13, 2021, Thurby was arrested and told a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper that before the crash, he had seven shots of Crown and water, and a preliminary breath test showed Thurby’s blood-alcohol content was .192 percent, more than twice the legal limit, according to the probable-cause statement in the case.
A jury found Thurby guilty following a trial in front of Jefferson County Circuit Judge Victor Melenbrink.
In March, Judge Melenbrink sentenced Thurby to four years in prison on each of the three counts. Two of the counts are to be served consecutively with the other to be served concurrently, meaning Thurby is to serve eight years in prison.
Williams has set up a Facebook group called “Bentley’s Law” to share updates about the law’s progress in each state.
Matthew Thompson is Child Support lawyer in Mississippi and supports a law such as this in Mississippi.
Below is a short clip from my most recent appearance on Law Call with Rocky Wilkins of Morgan & Morgan. The caller wanted to know about recovering unpaid child support and her facts allowed for a few more opportunities to educate the public on Mississippi Law.
Matthew Thompson is a Child Custody and Child Support Lawyer in Mississippi and reminds you that in Family Law, you can never go wrong if you do what is Right!
(601)850-8000 Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms
(601) 850-8000 - - BowTieLawyer.MS 