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Not the Same
Posted on Friday, May 25, 2012
It has been a while since I sat down to write a blog article. Who would of thought being the executive director of a new, Mississippi non-profit adoption agency would be so time consuming? But I digress (more on that later)… I have a friend and client who is going through a divorce. He is a great guy who made a few mistakes. Actually, in the grand scheme of mistakes that a person can make in a marriage, his were relatively minor offenses, but his wife, a hard-charging, type-A personality, cannot stand that her perfect little idea of a life may not have a starched shirt and slick, silk tie. I grieve for him, but I grieve for her just as much. I want to reach out to her and tell her that if your idea of living is measured relationally to those around you as opposed to what springs from inside, inhabiting the spiritual realm, there will never be a sense of satisfaction, but what do I know, she is going through one divorce and I have been through about 500. READ MORE
Go Buy a TV
Posted on Saturday, April 21, 2012
I have gotten on this kick where I like salmon for breakfast –whether it be in an omelet or on a bagel or served Benedict style, throw in some tomatoes, purple onion, cream cheese and capers and it is on. If you are feeling frisky, you could include a little spinach for color. While I have been trying to cut carbs lately, for breakfast, especially one including “pink fish”, I make an exception. Every now and then I will go to breakfast by myself. It is a good way for me to clear my head before I get in to the office to face the day’s challenges. READ MORE
200 Million Flowers Update
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
A few people have asked me whether or not I am going to quit practicing law and focus on 200 Million Flowers full time. I kind of laugh when people say that, not because it is necessarily a crazy idea, but because I am leveraging the law practice to be able to help, in part, finance this new adoption agency. One friend said “The divorces are funding the adoptions.” I guess that’s true. However, I really love practicing law and managing my law firm. I get to work with an client base every day – many of whom are in the worst crisis of their life, and the R+A team is world class in my humble opinion. But I am also having a blast helping to get 200 Million Flowers off the ground. It is a really fun second job and we are just getting started. READ MORE
KEEP CALM and CARRY ON
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
I should be in the shower headed to the office, but I am writing to you instead. Last year I was in the habit of writing almost every day. I was sharing thoughts inspired by our church’s L3 Journal to a bunch of guys. It hasn’t gone that way this year. When Emma started kindergarten, our mornings became much more hectic, and if I didn’t write first thing in the morning, it was not going to happen. This week, Rachel is on a mission trip in Costa Rica with a group called Visiting Orphans. I am getting a small taste of being a single dad. READ MORE
What to Expet with the Appointment of a Guardian Ad Litem
Posted on Wednesday, March 07, 2012
When I was very young, my parents got divorced. Luckily, I remember very little of the child custody battle that my parents were enthralled in and all the mud-slinging they engaged in, but I definitely remember that I had to talk to a lawyer. The best part is, I cannot begin to tell you what I told that lawyer, all I can remember is that his name was Buz, that I was supposed to tell him the truth, and he was going to look out for my best interest. As a child, I had very little reason to complain, because even though I came from a broken home, my parents still loved, cared, and provided for me; I was certainly never abused and my parents did not throw accusations like that back and forth just to spite each other. I am sure you have all heard it before, in child custody cases, the best interest of the child prevails, but what happens if mom or dad says the other parent abused their child, either physically or sexually? Who makes that determination? READ MORE
Does Mississippi Have Legal Separation?
Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Marriage is hard, there is no denying it and sometimes couples want to test the waters so-to-speak to see if they want to stay and work on their marriage or if they are ready to begin the divorce process. Couples who are not ready for divorce often opt for a trial separation, i.e. someone moves out of the house, gets an apartment, as if they are taking a so-called break from the marital home and possibly the marital relationship. Some states have laws that allow for couples to have a “legal separation”, however, Mississippi does not. Here the rule is simple: the law favors marriage. You are married until you are divorced or someone is dead. There is no such thing as legally separated in Mississippi, couples cannot go to a court and request that it put a hold on the marriage. This does not mean that you and your spouse cannot agree to a separation, it only means that any such agreement will not be judicially enforced. READ MORE
Financial Advisor Guest Post: Because They are Worth It
Posted on Monday, February 13, 2012
Statistics show that roughly one out of every two marriages will end in divorce. There are many factors that require attention during and after a divorce. Some of the obvious are financially related, but the less obvious emotional factors can severely impact the financial outcome of a divorce. I recently had a client make the following statement after settling a multimillion-dollar divorce: READ MORE
Stuck in the Middle
Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012
It is not unusual for a non-custodial parent to request to modify their child custody arrangement. To do so, the non-custodial parent must prove a material change of circumstances has occurred in the custodial home which adversely affects the child and that modification is in the best interest of the child. This is the traditional modification standard. However, what about parents who share custody of their children i.e. have joint custody? What is the standard? Although the parties must similarly show a material change, the standard for joint custody arrangement also requires that the change makes joint custody “unworkable” or “unmanageable.”See Lackey v. Fuller, 755 So. 2d 1083, 1089 (Miss. 2000). READ MORE
Private Investigator Guest Post - Helping Myself
Posted on Wednesday, February 08, 2012
A strange thing happened to me the other day, when I went for my annual checkup with my cardiologist. He came into the room and began asking me the very same questions he has asked me every year for the past ten years. Have you recently experienced any shortness of breath? Have you noticed any swelling in your legs or ankles? Have you experienced any periods of dizziness, etc.? Then, he asked if anything had occurred over the past year, health wise, that I thought he should be aware of? Like many, I couldn’t think of a thing, at the time. Later, I began to think of things and wondered if he would have wanted to know about them? Would these few, seemingly insignificant things, have had an effect on his decisions regarding my health care? READ MORE
Money Will Not Grow on Trees
Posted on Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Money might not grow on trees, but if it did, you would have an ongoing duty to report any changes in the foliage of your money tree if you were involved in a domestic case where there were any economic or property issues . Anyone who has gone through a divorce in Mississippi probably remembers having to fill out the 8.05 Financial Statement-page after page where you are required to itemize anything pertaining to money- your salary, pensions, insurance, down to what you spend every month on magazine subscriptions and even what you tithe every month to your church. As fun and exciting as it was to fill out the form before, effective July 1, 2012, individuals in domestic cases where money and/or property are involved (i.e. divorces, child custody and support, spousal support, etc…) are now required to disclose ALL assets and liabilities, regardless of whether they are marital or non-marital and are under a DUTY to supplement their prior disclosures if any changes have occurred. READ MORE
