Louisiana Articles & Resources - Hampton Law Firm

When a loved one passes away, families are often left trying to find important information for the succession. Years ago, that information may have been stored in a filing cabinet, a desk drawer, a safe, or a folder with bank statements and insurance papers. Important records may be inside an email account, iCloud account, Google Drive, Facebook account, online banking portal, payment app, cloud storage account, or cell phone that no one can unlock. This creates a difficult a

When someone is sentenced in Louisiana criminal court, families usually hear the number first. Five years. Ten years. Twenty years. That number matters, of course, but it does not tell the entire story. The words that come after the number can change the real meaning of the sentence just as much as the number itself. One phrase families hear often is “without benefits.” It may be said quickly during a plea or sentencing hearing, almost like everyone in the courtroom already k

When I was younger, I was always the anchor leg. I ran track in high school, and I still remember standing at LSU during the state championship, waiting for the baton in the 4x400 relay. I was usually the last leg. I was often behind when the baton got to me, and I was usually the only white girl on the track. My mother still tells that story better than I do. She said the man sitting beside her in the stands did not know me, did not know my name, and probably had no earthly

For a long time, I did not realize I was saving a seat. Not in the obvious way. I was still working, still raising children, still answering calls, still showing up to the places I was supposed to be. From the outside, I was functioning. But somewhere beneath all of it, I was keeping a space open. I was leaving room in my plans, my thoughts, my days, and my heart for someone who had not really been showing up. I would make decisions and quietly wonder whether they might come

The Days You Don’t Want To Rush My receptionist came back from lunch today, walked into my office, dropped into the chair across from my desk, and asked, “Do I look flushed?” Before I could answer, she gave me a little wink and said, “I had lunch with my husband today.” Now, she was not talking about chicken salad. She had a birthday today, she is in her sixties, and apparently her husband had made sure she was having a very good one. Nobody needed details. Nobody asked for d

As a lawyer, I spend a great deal of time helping people make sense of what has happened when life does not unfold the way they expected it to. Clients come in carrying unanswered questions, old promises, stalled decisions, and the weight of waiting for someone else to do what they said they would do. This is not legal advice, and it is not really about any one kind of loss. It is about remembering that your life is still yours to live while you wait for clarity from someone

There is something about social media that has made a lot of us feel like we are supposed to be everywhere except where we actually are. We know who posted what. We know who liked it. We know who commented, who did not comment, who unfollowed whom, who was tagged somewhere they were not supposed to be, and who may or may not be sending private messages behind the scenes. We can tell you what happened at a restaurant across town, who was seen with whom, what somebody’s cousin

There is a strange belief online that honesty requires full exposure. That if you do not name every name, share every screenshot, explain every detail, and prove every point, then you are being vague, weak, afraid, or somehow less truthful. I do not believe that. Some of the strongest writing comes from telling the truth about what something did to you without turning another person into public entertainment. There is a difference between sharing your story and telling on eve

I have never been particularly good at having a small opinion. Some people can hear a topic, think privately about it, offer a gentle “maybe,” and move on with their day. I admire those people. I assume their blood pressure is lower than mine. That has not been my personal experience. When I have an opinion, it generally arrives with supporting reasons, backup examples, a few concerns nobody else has considered yet, and a tone that suggests I have been appointed chairwoman of

I have never been especially gifted at waiting. I wish I could tell you that I am one of those people who receives a setback, takes a deep breath, folds her hands, and calmly says, “Well, I trust God’s timing.” There are certainly days I aspire to be that woman. But more often, I am the woman asking God whether He has checked the calendar lately, because I have a few things I would like resolved immediately. I do not enjoy unanswered questions. I do not enjoy delays. I do not

People assume lawyers are trained to read statutes, contracts, court opinions, deadlines, and fine print. And we are. We learn how to spot an issue, find the rule, apply the facts, organize a file, prepare a document, meet a deadline, and stay professionally composed when somebody says something that makes no earthly sense. But some of the most important reading I do has nothing to do with a page in front of me. It is reading the person sitting across from me. It is knowing w

There are skills you can put on a résumé. You can list your education. Your job title. Your years of experience. The things you have built, managed, learned, and accomplished. You can point to the degree on the wall, the business card in your purse, the office you worked hard to build, and the work that has shaped so much of your life. But some of the skills that matter most do not fit neatly into a job description. Nobody teaches you how to turn a horrible night into a damn

There are people whose mornings begin with a peaceful alarm clock, a hot cup of coffee, a calm shower, and enough quiet time to gather their thoughts before the day begins. That has never really been my ministry. My day usually starts around four o’clock in the morning, when insomnia decides it has something important to discuss. By six o’clock, JB is awake and ready to begin his portion of the daily operations. Shortly after that, three children are waking up in various mood

My mother told me years ago—long before I had children of my own—that she already knew I was never going to be the PTO mom. She did not mean I would not love my children. She did not mean I would not show up for them, worry about them, fight for them, celebrate them, or know every little thing going on in their lives. She simply meant that I was probably never going to be the mother with a color-coded calendar, homemade class treats, dinner on the table at five-thirty, and ev

Some of my recent Thoughts Outside the Office posts have reflected a difficult season for my family. Real life has a way of doing that sometimes. There are stretches when the hard parts are louder than everything else, and writing becomes one of the ways we make sense of what we are carrying. But difficult seasons do not cancel out joy. They do not erase the funny parts, the ordinary parts, or the moments that remind you life is still happening right in front of you. Lately,

This summer, my daughter has been spending her days with me because she does not have daycare or a regular summer schedule. So she comes with me everywhere. Appointments, errands, office stops, tire problems, last-minute detours, and whatever fresh chaos seems determined to find me before noon. At first, I worried about it. I worried that she was seeing too much of the mess. I worried that she was carrying more than a child should have to carry. We have both been through hard

Father’s Day has a way of making you think about the memories that stay. Not always the big, picture-perfect memories, and not always the ones anyone planned. Sometimes it is the ordinary things that end up becoming permanent: weekend breakfast, a living room floor, a basketball gym, a track meet, a 5K route, an office, a hospital drive, and a baby being passed back and forth between court, meetings, and work. Sometimes the memories that shape us most are the ones we did not

Judith Hampton reflects on a difficult moment where anger felt justified, but grace may have been the better response. This personal post explores boundaries, protection, humility, and the ongoing work of responding with wisdom instead of reaction.

Judith Hampton reflects on the little things still happening here: family moments, motherhood, gratitude, and finding meaning in ordinary days.

Judith Hampton shares a humorous and honest reflection on courtroom moments, emotional control, professionalism, and the very human challenge of keeping a straight face when real life does not follow the script.