Tag Archives: hire attorney

The Dirtiest Secret of Lawyer Advertising!

09/02/2014 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

“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

General Legal

Who exactly is THEY?

11/18/2013 BowTieLawyer 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.

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

Divorce, General Legal, Marriage, Opinion

Churchill Wisdom; On Advice

03/14/2013 BowTieLawyer 2 Comments

“In those days he was wiser than he is now; he used to frequently take my advice.”

-Winston Churchill

Following your attorney’s advice can be one of the more difficult aspects of divorce work, but you must. I have previously blogged on How to Hire an attorney, Keeping Quiet when necessary, Annoying Client Traits, and Coping with the Stress of a family law matter. One important and common theme to all of these is to listen and take the advice you are given. It is no guaranty of a perfect case, but it increases the potential for a satisfactory result. (So long as the person giving the advice knows what they are talking about.)

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney and is good at telling people what to do.

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, Child Support, Crime, Divorce, General Legal, Opinion

Know Your Rights! Get a diagnosis.

12/17/2012 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

This blog is inspired by the many, many folks I encounter on a weekly basis who have “no clue” what their rights are.

If you’re ill, you go to the doctor to get a check-up.
If your car is squeaking, you go to the mechanic.
If your roof is leaking, you call the repair man.

But if you think you are in a legal situation, what do you do? YOU IGNORE IT!

Do NOT ignore it. Go see an attorney. They don’t bite. We’ve already discussed how to determine if you need one (here) and how to find one (here). This is just aimed at the folks on the fence and those choosing to be blissfully ignorant. Not knowing your rights, not knowing the law, and not knowing your options is a bad thing.

There are deadlines, timelines, and statutes of limitation. Memories fail, people forget or misremember, documents get lost, people get lost, and “witnesses” die. Records get erased, deleted and shredded. Bruises and wounds heal, scars fade, and most persons recall times past more fondly (or at least not as bad) than they were.

Get off the fence. Get informed and know your rights.

Thompson Law Firm, pllc Matthew@BowTieLawyer.ms (601) 850-8000

Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce, Irreconcilable differences, Opinion

From No Fault to Yo’ Fault

11/14/2012 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

The clever title to this blog was proposed by an attorney friend of mine that handles some family law matters, but practices extensively in other areas of law.

We were recently discussing how “No Fault” cases get derailed. While Mississippi is technically not a true “No Fault” state, there are provisions for an Irreconcilable Differences divorce. (commonly referred to as “No Fault,” blogged prior.)

We were discussing what gets them off track. The parties, after getting over the initial shock of divorce, decide they will be adults and agree. They think they can agree to the divorce and resolve their differences. After all, they did manage to get along for 9 years, have two kids and bought a house. What could go wrong? Perhaps they searched online and looked at divorceyourself.com. A very risky idea!

Well, the old adage that the devil is in the details is never truer than in divorce. The No Fault idea gets derailed when the fellow realizes he will have to pay 20% of his income towards child support, plus health insurance and alimony. Yikes! He realizes it’s cheaper to keep her. (sorry for the cliché) The wife gets squirrely when she realizes that her half of the retirement account is consumed by balancing the equity in the house, or that the money she gets cannot be realized without significant tax consequences.

Parties to a divorce don’t realize child support is until 21, not 18 in Mississippi. They don’t know the types of custody, or what that means. They agree to things that they cannot legally agree to and fail to consider the consequences. They agree to “legal terms” that do not exist in Mississippi law, because they saw it online. And lastly, one of them is finally convinced to see an attorney by a close friend or family member and when they do and realize the consequences of what they were about to do and back out, the other side becomes angry and backs out too. All of a sudden an easy deal becomes complicated, expensive and adversarial.

Want to keep your situation from going from No Fault to Yo’ Fault? Do your homework, have an assessment with an attorney that practices family law, keep the peace, and be smart.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney that can handle your divorce whether it’s your fault, their fault, or somebody else’s. Trust the Bow Tie.