The Thompson Law Firm

With an initial consultation and case evaluation we will inform you of your rights. At The Thompson Law Firm, we have dedicated ourselves to passionately fight for you if someone in your family has been injured or killed as the result of a Trucking Accident. Don't assume that big trucking companies will inform you of your rights in case of an accident, let our team of Attorneys provide you counsel so that you can focus on helping your family heal.

Sometimes in life we are able to prepare for the imminent death of a loved one. We get time with the person who will not be with us much longer and we are allowed moments of enjoyment and closure that remain with us forever. Unfortunately, though, this happens far too infrequently as life often ends abruptly and before any preparations have been made. Even worse is when the death might have been preventable had other parties taken proper steps to ensure the safety of all those who could be adversely affected in the course of events. A Wrongful Death can occur for many reasons including because of product liability, medical malpractice or even the unintentional negligence of another person.

The Thompson Law Firm knows that losing a loved one suddenly, especially when the circumstances could have been prevented, can be one of the hardest trials for a person to go through. The wake that is left after an unforeseen death occurs can be financially crippling and emotionally devastating. With aggressive and relentless counsel, those at fault can be faced with their wrongdoing and justice can be achieved for the family. A wrongful death will always come with a certain amount of turmoil. But the trouble can be lessened and a return to a more peaceful atmosphere can be more quickly attained by hiring a compassionate and competent wrongful death attorney like The Thompson Law Firm.

A Wrongful Death lawsuit is brought about to hold those responsible for your loved one's death responsible and to provide surviving family members with financial support. Beyond those things a Wrongful Death lawsuit may also enact permanent change that prevents another person's death from occurring under the same circumstances.

As consumers we have an expectation that the products we buy on the shelves of our stores or on the Internet are safe to use. If you or your family has been the victim of a faulty product, do you deserve to know your rights? At The Thompson Law Firm we believe in protecting you, the consumer.

There are three general types of product defects that a court could find a manufacturer liable: design defects, manufacturing defects and marketing defects, such as mislabeling or false advertising. There are many reasons a product could be defective, often it can be a simple design flaw or negligence at the place of production. Regardless of the reason, we can represent you. The fact is that there are many reasons a product can be faulty and these reasons can occur in many different places. There are laws in place that are there to protect us from these issues and at The Thompson Law Firm we will work tirelessly to represent you.

• Tire defects
• SUV rollovers and roof crush injuries
• Defective air bags, seat belts, gas tanks, seat backs
• Dangerous or defective drugs
• Defective medical products, such as implantable pacemakers
• Defective diagnostic machines
• Industrial tools and machinery
• Power Tools

Consumer Law is a broad area of law that covers everything from product labeling to consumer credit and everything in between. As consumers we expect companies to uphold warranties and agreements related to their products or services. Unfortunately, not all companies do and at The Thompson Law Firm we are here to represent you when this happens. You have rights as a consumer to be presented factual information and for companies to honor their agreements with you. Don't let the size or reputation of a company scare you away when you have been wronged. The Thompson Law Firm will vigorously defend the rights of ordinary consumers like you against some of America's largest companies.

A part of Consumer Law is Consumer credit. Consumer Credit covers everything from required documentation and disclosures to temporary loan contracts. Within this area of law is also the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which governs how debt collectors can attempt to collect their debts from you. This includes laws which do not allow creditors to be abusive, unfair or deceptive. The FDCPA covers personal, family and household debts, including personal credit cards, medical bills, automobile loans and mortgages.

While Product Liability is a specific area of law, it is also covered under Consumer Law. Under Product Liability we see cases concerning product safety and labeling. This includes making sure that the creation of products follow appropriate safety standards, have recall systems in place and any health and nutritional information are listed in the legally directed way.

Family Law distinguishes itself from so many other areas of law because of its emotional involvement with loved ones and family. Child Custody and Child Support are important issues that The Thompson Law Firm's caring team of Attorneys will fight for. In Texas there are many things to consider when talking about Child Custody and Support and we can advise you on filing for primary custody, who pays child support?, and how joint custody, called "joint managing conservatorship" still requires a primary custodian of a child who would be due child support.

Parental rights are among the most fundamental human rights. Both the father and mother are expected to be responsible for their own children, and in most cases both parties deserve fair amounts of parenting time with their children. When parents are separated (even if unmarried) or divorced, family law usually serves to preserve and protect the parent-child bond for both parents.

While both male and female clients entrust their legal matters to The Thompson Law Firm, the law firm represents fathers seeking to protect and strengthen their parental bonds with their children in the face of bitter custody or conservatorship disputes. Texas statutes make it clear that there is to be no gender bias in child custody cases. But fathers' rights often require extra attention and care when a mother and father have separated. In many conservative communities, a father has to strongly assert his right to spend significant amounts of parenting time with his children when he and the mother are separated, divorced or were never married to each other.

North Texas fathers and mothers are encouraged to contact The Thompson Law Firm to schedule a consultation in the event of a separation or divorce to discuss the legal process for determining custody and visitation, including such provisions as:

• Sole custody
• Joint custody
• Sole managing conservatorship
• Possessory conservatorship

Certain circumstances may lead courts to deviate from standard custody sharing arrangements. Examples of such exceptional circumstances are a history of violence by either parent (or a resident step-parent figure), acknowledged substance abuse (alcohol or illegal drugs) by either parent, or frequent out-of-town travel by one of the parents. Even when both parents are entitled to custody of a child in Texas, it is rare for both to receive equal parenting time. One parent will have the right to establish the residence of the child while the other parent will have visitation rights. Often this means every other weekend (or the first, third and fifth weekends), every other holiday and a longer visitation period in the summer.

One partner of a same-sex couple who has shared parenting responsibilities sometimes requires legal help to assert and protect established emotional bonds with children when a relationship ends. Attorney Petrina L. Thompson will represent biological mothers as well as non-biological parents in custody disputes between gay partners. For the non-biological same-sex partner who is a parental figure in a child's life, there is a very limited window of time to file a case for visitation or shared custody in Texas. Contact The Thompson Law Firm to learn how to best protect parental bonds in gay families.

Discuss how these and other Texas family law provisions will affect your family's child custody decisions when you and your husband or wife, ex-husband or ex-wife, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, or former same-sex partner are separated and must decide how to share parenting duties. Fathers in particular are encouraged to take steps to protect their parental rights, regardless of the status of the relationship with the mother. Contact Attorney Petrina L. Thompson concerning related legal issues such as child support, paternity (parentage), step-parent adoption and guardian ad litem cases.

A premarital or postmarital agreement is a powerful legal document that can protect spouses in the event of divorce. Although nobody enters into a marriage expecting to divorce, the reality is that nearly half of all marriages end in divorce.

To learn more about premarital or postmarital agreements (also known as prenuptial or postnuptial agreements), contact The Thompson Law Firm. Dallas attorney Petrina L. Thompson can explain how you can be protected if your marriage ends in divorce.

Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements were once thought of as controversial. Today, however, more and more couples are realizing the importance of protecting their separate interests in the event of divorce.

A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can address any number of topics, including:

• Property division — Any property owned before the date of marriage remains separate property. However, if this property earns income or interest during the marriage (in investments or retirement accounts, etc.), the property may be classified as community property, which is then subject to division.
• Spousal support / alimony — A premarital or postmarital agreement can address what, if any money will be paid to one spouse from another in the form of alimony.
• Stepparent responsibilities — The responsibilities of a stepparent can be addressed in a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. This is especially important in the event of a biological parent's death.

If you are getting a prenuptial agreement, do not wait until the last minute. If you wait too long and force the idea on your future spouse, he or she could later claim fraud and duress, which could invalidate the agreement. We recommend planning a premarital agreement at a minimum two months before the date of marriage.

Some couples choose to enter into a postmarital (postnuptial) agreement instead of getting a divorce. A postnuptial agreement can address the topics of property division, spousal support, ownership of real estate, and inheritance rights, etc.

Contact The Thompson Law Firm today to talk about the benefits of a premarital or postmarital agreement.

The most essential aspects of estate planning are wills and trusts. Through a properly executed will, you can ensure that your assets are distributed as you wish upon your death. A trust can provide income for future generations and may have tax benefits. Wills and trusts can also detail how you wish to provide for your loved ones after you are gone. We can help you deal with the creation of wills and trusts that reflect your goals and wishes.

At The Thompson Law Firm, we will provide assistance to clients throughout the course of creating wills and trusts. We walk you through every step of the process and get to know clients along the way. By doing this, we are better able to tailor the composition of these documents to suit your current and future needs.

A will is essentially a set of instructions for the distribution of your assets upon your death. The only way to ensure that those assets are dispersed according to your wishes is to have a will. In the absence of a will, your property will be distributed according to Texas statutes. Our firm can help you understand why a will is so important and help you through the process of creating a will. We can also help you compose a legally-binding living will.

There are many different types of trusts that are designed to accomplish different goals. By discussing your situation and wishes for the assets that will be going into the trust, we can effectively determine the best type of trust for you to establish. Some of the types of trusts we help clients create and fund include:

• Revocable trust / irrevocable trust
• Living trust
• Simple trust
• Special needs trust

Probate is process through which the validity of a deceased individual's last will and testament is determined. An estate without a will may also be dealt with in probate court. Through probate, the court-supervised transfer of the title to assets is completed, as well as the transfer of property from the decedent to the beneficiaries as stated in the will, or dictated by state statutes. To further explain the details and nuances of the probate process, an attorney at The Thompson Law Firm can take the time to help you understand the many aspects of probate and how it may affect you as a relative or beneficiary of the deceased individual.

When an elderly relative, disabled child or other loved one can't handle his or her affairs, it may be necessary to appoint a guardian. In addition to handling probate matters, our firm also guides clients through the guardianship process. When facing the issue of a guardianship, many emotions are tied into the legal struggle that may ensue. However, the individuals involved are usually proceeding and seeking the guardianship in order to preserve the best interests of the incapacitated adult or child. We can help clients determine whether a guardianship is needed or desired and help them through the process of establishing guardianship.

Our firm appreciates the importance of defending the rights of the accused, and we use all available means to ensure that clients receive outstanding legal representation and access to justice. The consequences of a criminal conviction can be devastating. These charges must be vigorously defended. If the government is trying to convict you of a crime, we will make sure that your rights are protected and that you are treated fairly.

Our firm handles all types of criminal defense matters in Texas' state and federal criminal courts, including drug charges, white collar crimes, all types of violent and theft crimes, spousal abuse / domestic violence crimes, DUI / drunk driving cases for both in-state and out-of state residents who were charged in Texas, disorderly conduct, possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana, and juvenile court matters. You deserve a vigorous and aggressive criminal defense attorney to protect your constitutional rights. We will work diligently to get your case dismissed, reduced, or represent you aggressively at your trial. .

Driving While Intoxicated (sometimes called DWI or DUI) is one of the most common charges the average person might face. Police officers are being pressed to enforce the DWI laws very strictly and it is very easy to be wrongly accused. At the same time, the penalties for DWI cases have become increasingly severe over the last few years. In addition to the embarrassment and damage to reputation, a person charged with a second DWI faces penalties including jail for up to a year and a $4000 fine. Deferred Adjudication is specifically disallowed in DWI cases. Further, if your license is suspended as a result of a DWI, it now costs you $1000 a year for three years to be able to drive. The laws regarding DWI cases are very complex and the prosecutors are experts in this field. You need a criminal defense lawyer that has the knowledge, experience, and aggressiveness to level the playing field and hold the state to its burden.

In addition to defending your criminal case, Petrina Thompson will fight for your right to drive at the administrative license revocation hearing following your arrest. If you are arrested for a DWI, call a lawyer immediately. You have a limited time to contest the revocation of your license and such a hearing can be very useful in defending the criminal case later on.

Generally speaking, the penalties for DWI are becoming increasingly severe. The specific range of punishment depends on a number of different circumstances. For example:

a) first offense: a first-offense conviction includes a fine not to exceed $2,000.00 and/or the possibility of serving jail time from 3 days to 180 days, and a driver's license suspension of 90 to 365 days. (Class B Misdemeanor).

b) second offense: the maximum fine increases to no more than $4,000.00 and/or jail from 30 days to one year, and a possible driver's license suspension ranging from 180 days to 2 years. (Class A Misdemeanor).

c) third offense: here, you may receive a fine up to $10,000.00 and/or 2 to 10 years of imprisonment, and suspension of your driver's license ranging from 180 days up to 2 years. (3rd Degree Felony).

d) DWI with an open alcohol container (first offense): In addition to the penalty referenced above you face a minimum 6 days in jail and a fine of no more than $2,000.00. (Class B Misdemeanor).

e) DWI with an accident where serious bodily injury occurred as a proximate cause of the intoxication: this crime is called intoxication assault, and upon conviction you may serve a minimum of 2 years up to a maximum of 10 years in jail. Additionally, you may be fined up to $10,000.00. (3rd Degree Felony).

f) DWI where a death has occurred as a proximate cause of the intoxication: here, the crime is intoxication manslaughter. Upon conviction you might have to pay a maximum fine of $10,000.00 and/or be imprisoned from 2 to 20 years (Intoxicated Manslaughter or Manslaughter with use of Deadly Weapon are both 2nd Degree Felonies).

Don’t face this alone. The Thompson Law Firm is here to help you reach a successful resolution to your case.