A collection of thoughts that didn’t make it to the blog. I am not entirely sure how all of this happened in the same week. Last Sunday, I was driving home from Great Wolf Lodge after making the extremely rational decision to recover from a week of working until 9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 at night by loading three children into my vehicle and taking them to a water park by myself. Obviously. I had been scared to go. I had never done anything quite like that alone with all three of

From Judith’s Desk — Note dated August 4, 2026 Hampton Law Firm is committed to accuracy, fairness, transparency, and accountability. Our writings may be revised for clarity, accuracy, or continued development. The most recently published version is the official public version, while prior drafts are retained in our records. Read our Commitment to You for more information about our publishing and accountability standards. A collection of thoughts that didn’t make it to the bl

A collection of thoughts that didn’t make it to the blog. From Judith’s Desk — Note dated July 31, 2026 Hampton Law Firm is committed to accuracy, fairness, transparency, and accountability. Our writings may be revised for clarity, accuracy, or continued development. The most recently published version is the official public version, while prior drafts are retained in our records. Read our Commitment to You for more information about our publishing and accountability standard

From Judith’s Desk: A collection of thoughts that didn’t make it to the blog A few days ago, a woman sat down across from me in my office, and somewhere between the reason she came in and the conversation that followed, we recognized something familiar in each other. We both see the world in stories. Not just the stories people tell once everything has ended neatly and they know what it all meant. We see the ones that begin with a smell, a storm coming through, an old road, o

From Judith’s Desk A collection of thoughts that didn't make it to the blog. --- Story time with Nan The Time She Married One of Arkansas's Most Wanted Last week I got lost in Arkansas. Nan found this absolutely hilarious. Not because she's mean (although reasonable people may disagree), but because, in her opinion, I got off easy. You see, years ago Nan went to Arkansas and accidentally married one of Arkansas's most wanted fugitives. No, that's not clickbait. No, I'm not ex

A collection of thoughts that didn’t make it to the blog. Lawyers speak English, but not always in the way ordinary people understand it. Years of practicing law teach us how to communicate entire paragraphs through a carefully chosen phrase, a raised eyebrow, or a silence that lasts approximately two seconds longer than politeness requires. We learn to remain civil while disagreeing completely, to threaten without technically threatening, and to tell someone an idea is terri

A collection of thoughts that didn't make it to the blog. There are moments in a courtroom that no law school professor prepares you for. Last week, during a hearing, the prosecutor looked directly at my client and asked, point-blank, "Did you commit the crime?" Without thinking, I stood up and said, "Objection, Your Honor." The judge looked at me with a grin and asked, "How are you objecting to your own client?" I immediately realized what I'd done. "Never mind... no objecti

A collection of thoughts that didn’t make it to the blog. I used to think the most expensive thing I ever gave someone was money. Looking back, it was not. Money can be earned again. Time cannot. Trust rarely grows back in the same shape after it has been broken, and hope has a remarkable way of draining a woman long before her checking account finally catches up. By the time this story took place, I had spent years paying for decisions that were not mine, cleaning up messes

Click the image to subscribe to Hampton Law Firm A collection of thoughts that didn’t make it to the blog. The first night I came back, my daughter found the love notes. There is something particularly cruel about discovering betrayal through a child’s innocent hands. She was not searching for evidence. She did not understand that certain drawers hold more than paper or that a few lines of handwriting can suddenly rearrange everything an adult thought she knew. She simply fou

Click the image to shop our products! A collection of thoughts that didn't make it to the blog. People have a tendency to think that relationships end because of one spectacular event. They imagine a screaming match, a dramatic betrayal, or one moment so obvious that everyone involved immediately knows it's over. I've learned it usually isn't that simple. Sometimes the relationship ends years before either person is willing to admit it. Sometimes the evidence isn't hidden in

Click the image to subscribe to Hampton Law A collection of thoughts that didn't make it to the blog. I've spent enough time in courtrooms to know that reality rarely unfolds the way people imagine it does. Most hearings don't end with dramatic speeches or shocking confessions. Usually they end with everyone gathering their files, exchanging a few polite words, and walking toward the parking lot wondering what they're having for lunch. This one was different. I had just finis

Click the image to subscribe to Hampton Law Firm! NOTE 001: BEFORE WE BEGIN A collection of thoughts that didn't make it to the blog. If you've spent any time reading my website, you already know I enjoy writing. Most of what you'll find here is intentional. It has a purpose. It's researched, organized, edited, and usually answers a legal question or explores a topic that I think is worth discussing. Those are blog articles. This isn't that. Over the years, I've discovered th