Gary Ashmore | Lori Ashmore Peters

Gary Ashmore | Lori Ashmore Peters

Managing Attorneys
  • The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C.
  • 3636 Maple Ave Dallas, Texas 75219
  • 214-559-7202

A Dallas Family Law and Estate Planning Team Under One Roof

Gary Ashmore is Founder and Managing Attorney of The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C. Lori Ashmore Peters is Managing Attorney and Head of Estate Planning and Probate. They are siblings, they built their practices at the same firm, and they work high-asset divorce and estate-planning matters together as co-counsel when their two disciplines overlap.

Gary leads the firm's family-law practice and has practiced Texas law since 1995. Lori leads the firm's estate-planning and probate practice and has practiced Texas law since 1996, joining The Ashmore Law Firm the same year. Both are peer-reviewed and rated on Super Lawyers®, Martindale-Hubbell® (AV Preeminent®), Best Lawyers in America® (Lori), Avvo®, Lawyers.com, Justia, Expertise.com, and FindLaw (Thomson Reuters).

When a divorce case involves the same assets, businesses, or family structures that estate planning is designed to protect, they collaborate to review both the family-law and estate-planning implications of every proposed settlement term before it is agreed to.

Schedule a consultation to meet with Gary and Lori today.

Gary Ashmore and Lori Ashmore Peters are siblings and the two managing attorneys of The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C. Together they carry more than 60 years of Texas legal experience — with a family history in Dallas courts that goes back further still.

Gary Michael Ashmore — Founder and Managing Attorney — was licensed by the State Bar of Texas on November 3, 1995 (Bar Card No. 00793284) and leads the firm's Family Law practice.

Lori Ashmore Peters — Managing Attorney and Head of Estate Planning and Probate — was licensed by the State Bar of Texas on June 27, 1996 (Bar Card No. 00795936) and joined The Ashmore Law Firm the same year. Her State Bar practice area is designated Wills, Trusts, and Probate.

Both are members of the State Bar of Texas in good standing with no public disciplinary history.

Combined credentials, at a glance

  • More than 60 years of active Texas legal practice between them

  • Both admitted to the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit — as self-reported on their respective State Bar of Texas records

  • Both recognized on Super Lawyers® — Gary in Texas Family Law (2024, 2025, 2026); Lori in Estate Planning & Probate every year from 2012 through 2026

  • Both rated Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® (2022–2026) — Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer rating for legal ability and ethical standards

  • Both rated Avvo® 10.0 — Gary is an Avvo® Top Contributor 2026; Lori holds 5-Star Reviews in Estate Planning and Probate

  • Lori is additionally recognized on Best Lawyers in America® — Trusts and Estates (2025, 2026)

  • Both peer-reviewed and listed on Lawyers.com, Justia, Expertise.com, and FindLaw (Thomson Reuters)

Gary and Lori grew up in East Dallas's Lakewood and Casa Linda neighborhoods and live in East Dallas today. They are the children of the Honorable Joseph E. Ashmore, Jr., who served on Dallas County Probate Court No. 3 from June 2, 1975 to August 4, 1986. Growing up in a household devoted to Texas courts shaped both siblings' approach to the practice — a deep respect for the courtroom, a preference for peaceful resolution when possible, and readiness to litigate when litigation is what a client's situation requires.

Why a Complex Divorce Often Needs Both Practices at the Same Time

Most Dallas clients going through a high-asset divorce are told to find a family-law attorney first, then start over with an estate-planning attorney once the divorce is done. That sequence can cost time, money, and — in complex cases — legal protection that only exists if both sides of the analysis happen in parallel.

Gary and Lori have spent their careers on opposite sides of the same problem. Gary leads the firm's family-law practice. Lori leads estate planning and probate. When a client's divorce involves business interests, trust assets, closely held investments, or a need to restructure an entire estate plan before a final decree is signed, they can work the case together as co-counsel within the same firm.

That collaboration is what this page is about.

Why These Two Disciplines Belong in the Same Room

A trust of which your spouse is a beneficiary does not automatically change when your divorce is filed in Texas. A buy-sell agreement in a family business does not recognize your date of separation. A will naming your soon-to-be-former spouse as executor can sit unchanged for months — or years — while litigation moves forward.

Gary handles the courtroom and negotiation strategy. Lori reviews proposed settlement terms for their estate-planning consequences before they are agreed to. Together, they can help clients avoid agreements that resolve the divorce but create planning liabilities on the back end, and can identify estate exposure that arises during a contested proceeding while the case is still active.

Gary Ashmore — Family Law

Gary Ashmore has practiced Texas law since 1995 and handles complex and high-net-worth divorce matters across Dallas and North Texas.

Peer recognition and ratings

Professional training and memberships

  • Collaborative Law Dallas — collaboratively trained divorce practitioner

  • Board Member, Exchange Club of East Dallas — one of Dallas's oldest civic clubs, raising scholarship and education funds for East Dallas

  • Lecturer on the intersection of family law and probate law, including at the Texas College for Judicial Studies

Courtroom and case experience

Gary's courtroom experience includes bench and jury trials in Texas family courts. In co-counsel matters with Lori, Gary leads case strategy, asset valuation and property-division negotiation, custody and conservatorship advocacy, and courtroom representation.

Earlier in his career, Gary served as Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in Texas family-court and probate-court matters. Approximately fifteen years ago, Gary handed the firm's Ad Litem work to Lori, who now serves as the firm's Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in Texas probate courts. Gary's earlier bench-appointed experience continues to inform how he approaches cases where family law and estate planning overlap.

Read Gary's full biography and credentials

Lori Ashmore Peters — Estate Planning, Trusts, Asset Protection & Probate

Lori Ashmore Peters has practiced Texas law since June 27, 1996, joining The Ashmore Law Firm the same year, and has built her practice around helping families protect, transfer, and defend wealth across generations.

Peer recognition and ratings

  • Texas Super Lawyers® — Estate Planning & Probate, every year from 2012 through 2026. Super Lawyers reports that its Texas selection covers no more than 5% of eligible attorneys in the state.

  • Best Lawyers in America® — Trusts and Estates, 2025 and 2026

  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® rating in Estate Planning and Probate, 2022–2026

  • Avvo® 10.0 rating and 5-Star Reviews in Estate Planning and Probate

  • Lawyers.com 5-Star Rating in Estate Planning and Probate

  • Peer-reviewed and listed on Justia and FindLaw (the Thomson Reuters attorney directory) in Estate Planning and Probate

Community leadership and professional recognition

  • President, Friends of Reverchon Park — the nonprofit stewardship organization for Dallas's historic Reverchon Park

  • Board Member, Treasure Street — the philanthropic organization supporting Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Lori previously served as Event Chair (2014) with Rick Peters the same year her parents, Janie and the late Judge Joe Ashmore, served as Honorary Event Chairs — reflecting a two-generation Ashmore family commitment to Scottish Rite that has spanned decades.

  • Modern Luxury — Dynamic Women in Dallas, 2024

  • Elite News — Women of Excellence Award

Courtroom and case experience

In co-counsel matters with Gary, Lori leads trust and beneficiary-designation analysis, estate-plan restructuring during and after divorce, business-succession review, asset-protection review, and post-divorce estate rebuilding. Lori also serves as the firm's Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in Texas probate-court matters.

Read Lori's full biography and credentials

What Gary and Lori Write About Together

Gary and Lori co-author articles at the intersection of family law and estate planning — a space where most legal content addresses only one side of the problem. Their collaborative work focuses on the practical questions high-asset clients face when divorce and estate-planning decisions have to be made at the same time.

Published: "But Aren't We Your Parents?" — Headnotes, Dallas Bar Association, May 2011
Submitted for publication:"When the Business Is the Estate: A Texas Practitioner's Guide to High-Asset Divorce Planning" — submitted to Headnotes, 2026

Currently published articles and blogs:

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Law and Estate Planning

Do I need both a family-law attorney and an estate-planning attorney during my divorce?

If your divorce involves significant assets — a business, trusts, investment accounts, or real property — often yes. A family-law attorney can benefit from understanding what each proposed settlement term does to your estate plan before it is agreed to. An agreement that resolves the divorce can complicate an asset-protection structure if it is not reviewed through an estate-planning lens first. Gary and Lori work those cases together so neither side of the analysis is missing.

What happens to my existing estate plan once I file for divorce in Texas?

Filing for divorce in Texas does not automatically revoke your will or change your beneficiary designations. Your spouse may remain named as executor, primary beneficiary on life insurance, or transfer-on-death recipient on financial accounts until you affirmatively change those designations — subject to standing orders, injunctions, plan rules, and other legal restrictions that may apply while the case is pending. Lori works with clients early in the process to identify documents that may need updating and to prioritize the changes that can be made lawfully while the case is active.

Can a business interest complicate both my divorce and my estate plan at the same time?

Yes. A business interest can present a divorce question (how is it characterized, valued, and divided?) and an estate-planning question (what happens to your ownership stake, buy-sell rights, and succession plan while the divorce is pending or after it concludes?). Gary addresses the valuation and division strategy; Lori addresses the succession, beneficiary, and protection questions that arise in parallel.

What types of matters do Gary and Lori handle together?

Common examples include high-asset divorces involving trust assets or business interests, estate-plan review and restructuring during or immediately following divorce, pre-divorce planning for clients with complex asset structures, and cases where the outcome of the property division directly affects how a client's estate will be structured going forward.

What is the most common estate-planning mistake divorcing clients make?

Waiting until the divorce is finalized. During a contested proceeding — which can take months or longer — clients may carry ongoing estate exposure. Executor designations, beneficiary designations, and trustee appointments made during the marriage may remain in place longer than clients realize. The time to review documents and begin planning what can lawfully be updated is early in the process, not after the decree is signed.

Is the first consultation complimentary?

Yes. Initial consultations with Gary and Lori are complimentary. Call 214-559-7202 or schedule online to arrange a meeting.

Gary Ashmore and Lori Ashmore Peters are licensed to practice law in Texas. The recognitions, ratings, and honors listed above — including Super Lawyers®, Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent®, Best Lawyers in America®, Avvo®, Lawyers.com, Justia, Expertise.com, and FindLaw — are the opinions of the issuing organizations and are subject to each organization's own selection methodologies and criteria. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Past results, professional recognition, and prior case experience do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Each case is decided on its own facts, evidence, applicable law, and the decisions of the parties, judge, and jury when applicable.

Client testimonials appearing elsewhere on this website reflect the individual experience of the person providing the testimonial and are not a promise, guarantee, or prediction of the outcome in any other matter.

Attorney advertising. The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C., is responsible for the content of this page.