Tag Archives: divorce

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Don’t Bring Your Child to the Divorce Lawyer Meeting.

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Things happen. I get that.  But, generally speaking you should not bring your child to your first meeting with the divorce attorney.

The first meeting with the divorce attorney is tough, emotional and can be embarrassing.  At least, you could be discussing potentially embarrassing and confidential matters.  This is no place for small children.  They will be bored, hungry, thirsty, have to use the bathroom, and will break things in the office.  They will eat all of the candy in the dish, touch all the nick-knacks, and if their sibling is there a fight will ensue.  They will be loud, hot, cold, sleepy, wired, angry and goodness only knows what they will overhear and repeat at the most inopportune time.

Attorneys probably take for granted that the client knows not to bring their children to the meeting.   Don’t.  I try to make sure the client has thought about not bringing the children to the meeting.  It is genuinely rare that there is no other option.  So, if you are a client the only time to take the children is when the attorney requests it.  Otherwise, do NOT take your children to the meeting.  If there is no other choice, reschedule.  If you cannot reschedule, let the attorney know that you must bring your children and bring another adult to watch the children.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and implores you to please NOT bring your children to the meeting with the lawyer.

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, General Legal, Marriage, Modifications, Opinion

5 More What NOT To-Dos in Family Law

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I have blogged on FaceBook Don’ts several times.  5 Family Law FaceBook Don’ts & 5 More FaceBook Don’ts.  This one is a little more general, but are still things NOT to do in Family Law matters.

  • Don’t Follow Bad Advice Blindly.  If your attorney advises you to break into the house and take everything, including the dishwasher and the stove, think twice. Who does that? Who gives that advice? How could a Judge ever think that was a good thing? Click here for more. Bad Advice = Bad Lawyer.
  • Don’t Make it a WAR if you Don’t Have to. It only makes the lawyers more money.  You get less. Go to WAR only when it is absolutely necessary. Life and safety.
  • Don’t Solely Blame the Other Side. This piece is sometimes tough to swallow. That SOB you married may be mostly at fault, and sometimes completely at fault, but it’s rare that it is one side’s fault 100%. Acknowledging your culpability, at least to yourself, will help you process what you are going through.
  • Don’t Bad Mouth the Other Parent. It may be true. He may deserve it. You may tell the Judge, your counselor and your lawyer. No one else needs to know.
  • Don’t Forward the Children Communications Between you and the Other Parent. This is so inappropriate. Placing the children in the middle of a parental dispute is a classic symptom of parental alienation. If you are doing this you better watch out. You may not be able to stop the advice given in number 2, above.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and tries to give good advice.  It may still not be easy to follow, but it is designed to create less havoc, not more, usually.

Follow the blog: BowTieLawyer 

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

What’s the Right Answer? (Family Law Conundrums)

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Basic Family Law 101: (in most instances)

zicornicusso/freedigital photos.net

If you don’t know what the “right” legal answer is, do what’s “right,” and you’ll be fine.

-Matthew Thompson

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi.  That is all.

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

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

One Stop Shopping! (Don’t Stop Here…)

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Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and if you find yourself frequenting any of these places more than absolutely necessary…MOVE!

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

Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Don’t Hate.(At least not in public or a documentable fashion)

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In family law it is easy to lose your cool.  It is easy to react, to lash out and to tell that good-for-nothing so-and-so just what you think. But, don’t!

Stuart Miles/freedigital photos.net

No good comes from telling him off.  There is no use in demonstrating how crazy she is. She won’t change and if it’s coming from you it’s probably a dirty trick. At least she thinks so.

The urge to send that hateful text or email is strong, but you cannot take it back once you do.  You figure, well he is a “SOB,” or she is “CRAZY!”  But emailing, texting or screaming at the other party brings you down to their level.  Sometimes in divorce the high road is lonely and not fun, but take it anyway. It serves your needs.  And sometimes there is no high road, just lesser degrees of the low road.

This is tough advice to give and harder advice to take.  But remember, every email and text is being reviewed, saved and printed.  It is much easier to not send the hate than to try to explain to the judge why you sent 35 messages of what terrible a human being the other person is, while trying to argue that you are the reasonable one in the relationship.

Examples of what  NOT to send;

“I H8 U!”                                        “F#(% YOU”

“DIE!!!!”                        “I never LOVED U!!!”

“You can have everything.”                    “I don’t want nothing!!”

More on what not to do; 5 FaceBook Don’ts and  5 more FaceBook Don’ts.

So, who can you complain to?  Your mother, lawyer, counselor or any of the three.  No one else, though.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and suggest that you NOT send that hate-filled message. It may come back to haunt you.

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

Divorce, Opinion

Divorce Not-So-Funnies

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On the heels of “Divorce Funnies” posted earlier this week, comes the not-so-funnies.  These may hit a little too close to home, but ultimately funny, too.

      

 

      

 

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and has never put an outboard motor on a dining table.

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@wmtlawfirm.com.

Divorce, Opinion

Divorce Funnies

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“You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything…you can survive it.”

-Bill Cosby

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and encourages you to keep your sense of humor.

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@wmtlawfirm.com.

 

Child Custody, Divorce, General Legal, Irreconcilable differences, Opinion

Why Settling your case is BEST!

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“I want a bulldog!”  

“I want to take him to the cleaners!”

“It’s the principle!”

Oftentimes I am asked the difference between settling a case and litigating a case to a conclusion.  In my experience, more often than not, settling your case leads to a better result.  Here’s why.

  • It eliminates the uncertainty of a Court ruling. You know what you get.
  • It usually results in a quicker end.
  • It can save money.
  • Settlement gives your more control and “say” in the final outcome.
  • Settling your case allows the matter to end on a “positive” note, perhaps more amicable than otherwise.

Cases can be settled through a variety of ways, through negotiation or mediation, either through the parties, through the attorneys or a combination of both.

These are just some of the reasons why settling your case may be best.  However, there are also those cases that cannot be settled.  Typically, hotly contested custody cases cannot be settled because both parties genuinely believe that they have to fight for what they think is best.  And sometimes the other party is just a big jerk that makes everything a fight!

Know this;

  • People don’t get taken to the cleaners (unless they agree).
  • Suing on principle is unsatisfying and expensive.
  • Bulldog lawyers seldom make a difference in the outcome, they only alter how you get there.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and can attest that big jerks can try to fight, but usually get what they deserve…

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