However, sometimes you cannot forget and you may have a daily reminder in the living room. You are left with 3 options:
You can choose to forgive.
You can choose NOT to forgive.
You can BURN the Couch.
Forgiveness takes time, choosing not to forgive takes a commitment, burning the couch takes a lighter.*
Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi Divorce Attorney and reminds you that if you are going to burn the couch, do so outside, in a safe manner and in full compliance of all applicable laws.*
Follow the blog: BowTieLawyerVisit the website: Thompson Law FirmYou may also contact Matthew with your family law case, question or concern at (601) 850-8000 or Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms
Lie Detector Tests and their application in Mississippi Law is limited. The tests themselves are deemed generally unreliable by a legal standard and are not admissible in Court, absent mutual agreement or stipulation otherwise. However, law enforcement relies on them when administered properly. Personally, I have seen testing and the results impact several cases.
First off, What is a Polygraph Test? A test which measures and records physiological indicators such as; blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity, while the subject is asked and answers a series of questions. Wikipedia.
During the actual test only the test taker and examiner are present. The questions asked are typically only a few and they are asked a number of times, the exact same way. There are no surprise questions, no questions that are not rehearsed, and no Lamp Shades.
The test is measuring your involuntary responses and during the pre-test phase you are instructed to lie about an answer for comparison to involuntary responses during the testing.
Despite their limited Courtroom application, law enforcement agencies routinely administer Polygraph tests to suspects of crimes and the FBI uses polygraph testing regularly for not only suspects and witnesses, but also testing their own personnel, staff and agents.
I have used Polygraph testing in several cases where issues involved abuse allegations. In one instance a properly administered and passed Polygraph test helped result in a matter being dismissed by the Court and helped end a criminal investigation and rightly so.
As for the tricks on Ocean’s Eleven on to how to beat the test…well, the FBI tests for counter measures.
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law litigation attorney in Mississippi and encourages you not to lie!
I am regularly asked how many cases have I won? Potential clients, non-lawyers, friends and relatives use this terminology. But, winning a case isn’t really about winning. It’s about mitigating damages and liability. It’s about preserving finances and relationships, if possible. A win is really knowing the best and worst case scenario and achieving what you aimed for or better.
When is a win not a win? When you leave a wake of havoc, of hate and a trail of tears.
Unfortunately, some lawyers take this tactic in Family Law. They believe scorched earth is the best and only approach. What they do not tell their clients, though, is that it is really only what is best for themselves, the lawyer. It is best for the lawyer financially, or perhaps they even have a personal animus against the other party or the the other lawyer.
Lawyers, in my experience, do not like to give the tough advice. That the fight is not worth it emotionally or financially. That if you win the other side ends up hating you and will spend the rest of their days waiting for you to mess up so they can pounce upon you.
The win at all costs approach results in frivolous filings, extreme delay, and angry judges. The overwhelming “win” results in an appeal, bar complaints and ultimately you may well lose in the end.
A Win is really not being unpleasantly surprised in the end result. A win equates with maintaining your relationships with your children and immediate family and having the means to provide a satisfactory life.
Matthew Thompson is a Divorce attorney and advises his clients when a win is a win and when it is not.
Follow the blog: #BowTieLawyerVisit 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
Family Law areas defined for you. There is a lot of legal terminology used everyday that we attorneys take for granted that everyone knows what they mean, but that is not always the case. Here are a few of the major areas of family law, the simple explanations and links to more information.
Stuart Miles /freedigital photos.net
Divorce– the legal and final end to a marriage, a.k.a. “a conscious uncoupling”
Additional practice areas will be featured and defined throughout the year.
Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and handles a variety of family law legal matters.
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
We’re all adults here, right? Sure, we think we can remain friends even if our partnership didn’t work out, but sometimes you cannot stay friends. It’s too hard. It brings up the same issues that made the partnership not work.
It does not mean you have to be enemies. It does not mean you have a nemesis and have to hate each other, but staying friends can be hard.
Having and keeping a relationship is hard work. Both have to be committed to make it go. If one is not, it will not work.
Matthew Thompson is a Divorce and Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and reminds you that there are approximately 7 billion people on the planet. There are plenty of other persons that can be your friend.
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
Harold Hamm, oil tycoon of Continental Resources sent his ex a check for $974.8 million!
However, she rejected the check delivered to her lawyers.
Hamm immediately sent the full cash value of what a divorce ruling by an Oklahoma County judge determined he owed. The check was refused because “Ms. Arnall did not want to risk the dismissal of her appeal by acceptance of the benefits.”
Reports indicated that Mr. Hamm was worth some $18 billion and Ms. Arnall’s near-billion dollar payoff seemed paltry to she and her legal team, hence her appeal of the Court’s ruling.
That would be a hard check not to accept!
*Ultimately she did accept the payment and her appeal was dismissed.
Matthew Thompson is a Divorce and Alimony Attorney in Mississippi and reminds you that the #1 rule, when we’re fighting over stuff and not people, is to take the money.
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
Unverified internet news claims that this fellow had new checks made of he and his soulmate to pay his ex-wife’s alimony!
Whether this is true or not, I believe it.
Should you do it?No.Is it provocative?Yes.
Matthew Thompson is a Mississippi Divorce Attorney and recommends you pay on time and in a fashion you can prove, such as by check, however, you do not have to have your soulmate’s picture on the check!
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, separation and break-ups are hard. They create situations where you have to do things that you normally did not have to do.
A recent fight over the boat brought this lesson home. The parties had a nice boat. Both wanted it. Stereotypes would have you to believe that the Husband was really the Captain and the Wife was posturing. However, you would be wrong. The wife could Captain that boat with the best of them. Somewhat intrigued, I asked why would you Captain the boat. The response was, “What if I did not have someone else to do it? I needed to know how...”
This is why you teach your kids how to change a flat, even in days of AAA and cell phones.
The best advice for today, “Be Your Own Captain!“
Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and can Captain the ship.
(601) 850-8000 - - BowTieLawyer.MS 