Lori Ashmore Peters

Lori Ashmore Peters

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

Lori Ashmore Peters — Managing Attorney : Dallas Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Litigation Attorney

Estate plans built to keep your family out of probate litigation — and strong advocacy in probate, guardianship, and trust disputes when it's needed.

Peer-Recognized Dallas Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Litigation Attorney

Lori Ashmore Peters is the Managing Attorney over Estate Planning and Probate at The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C., in Dallas, Texas, and has practiced Texas law since 1996 — the same year she joined the firm. She represents families, fiduciaries, and business owners across the full scope of Texas estate planning, probate administration, and probate litigation, with particular experience in complex and high-value estates. In Texas, probate is often necessary to prove a will; probate litigation — will contests, fiduciary disputes, contested guardianships — is not. Depending on your family's assets, structure, and goals, Lori designs estate plans that use tools like revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations to keep specific assets outside the probate process, and to make the probate that does occur clean, uncontested, and as efficient as Texas law allows.

Lori is peer-recognized on Super Lawyers®, Best Lawyers in America®, Martindale-Hubbell® (AV Preeminent®), Avvo®, Lawyers.com, Justia, and FindLaw (Thomson Reuters). She has been selected to Texas Super Lawyers® in Estate Planning and Probate every year from 2012 through 2026 — a range that reflects sustained peer recognition over more than a decade of practice.

Schedule a complimentary consultation with Lori Ashmore Peters today.

What Kinds of Cases Does Lori Ashmore Peters Handle?

Lori's practice concentrates on the areas where Texas estate planning, probate administration, and probate litigation intersect — matters where the substance of the estate, the sophistication of the assets, or the intensity of a family dispute requires an attorney with fluency in both the planning side and the courtroom side.

Her work concentrates on:

  • Estate planning and wealth preservation for individuals, families, and business owners — including wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, asset-protection structures, and multi-generational planning.

  • Probate and estate administration for complex and high-value estates involving multiple business entities, real estate portfolios, and layered investment structures.

  • Probate litigation, will contests, and fiduciary disputes — including will challenges, questions of capacity and undue influence, improper transfers, and allegations of fiduciary breach.

  • Contested guardianship litigation and service as Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in the Probate Courts of Texas.

  • Business succession planning — analysis of ownership structures, buy-sell agreements, and continuity provisions for closely held businesses across generations.

  • Financial insight on complex divorce matters handled by the firm, particularly when trust interests, business entities, or high-value asset structures are involved.

Lori represents executors, trustees, guardians, heirs, and beneficiaries — advising fiduciaries on their duties and defending beneficiaries whose interests have been threatened by improper action.

Peer Recognition and Ratings

Court Appointments and Judicial Service

  • Certified Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in the Probate Courts of Texas.

  • Appointed in numerous probate and guardianship matters.

  • Served as Special Probate Judge, Probate Court No. 3, Dallas County.

  • Served as Master over Probable Cause Hearings.

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.

  • Board Member, Maurine F. Bailey Cultural Foundation.

  • Dallas Bar Foundation Fellow.

  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation Fellow.

  • Modern Luxury — Dynamic Women in Dallas, 2024.

  • Elite News — Women of Excellence Award.

Professional Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas (licensed 1996).

  • College of the State Bar of Texas.

  • Dallas County Bar Association.

  • Dallas Estate Planning Council.

  • Dallas Women Lawyers Association.

  • American Bar Association.

  • Texas Aggie Bar Association.

  • Junior League of Dallas.

  • Women in Business — Lakewood, Dallas, and Park Cities chapters.

Publications, Presentations, and Media

Lori is a frequent speaker and educator on estate planning, probate, and guardianship topics. Her work reaches audiences of professionals — CPAs, financial advisors, insurance professionals, and other attorneys — as well as clients and community groups.

  • "But Aren't We Your Parents?" — Headnotes, Dallas Bar Association, May 2011 (co-authored with Gary Ashmore) — on estate planning for college-age and young-adult children

  • Authored books, articles, and training materials for professional organizations and continuing legal education programs.

  • Regular speaker and educator on estate planning, probate administration, will contests, and guardianship matters.

Media appearances:

  • Featured on KLIF 820 AM as a legal resource on estate planning and probate topics affecting Texas families.

Working with Her Brother on Complex Divorce and Estate Matters

Lori's brother, Gary Ashmore, leads the firm's Family Law practice and focuses on high-net-worth divorce. When a client's divorce involves trust assets, closely held business interests, or the need to restructure an estate plan before a final decree is signed, Gary and Lori work the case together as co-counsel within the same firm.

For clients whose situations require both practice areas at the same time — a scenario that comes up frequently when a high-asset marriage ends — running family-law strategy and estate-planning review in parallel, inside one firm, is a genuine practical advantage.

Learn how Gary and Lori work complex divorce and estate cases together.

Read Gary and Lori's article on why divorce involving assets or a business benefits from both experiences.

Education and Bar Admissions

Education

  • J.D., Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, 1996

  • B.A., Texas A&M University, 1991

Bar and Court Admissions

  • State Bar of Texas, 1996

  • United States Supreme Court

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

About Lori Ashmore Peters

Lori Ashmore Peters has practiced estate planning and probate law in Dallas since 1996, the same year she joined The Ashmore Law Firm. Over three decades, she has built her practice around a specific idea: that the best estate plans are the ones that hold up when a family or a business faces real pressure — a contested probate, a guardianship dispute, a divorce involving trust assets, or a challenge to a fiduciary's authority.

Her background in business and financial planning informs how she designs estate plans that protect children, preserve wealth, and address important tax considerations. Her courtroom experience — including her service as a Special Probate Judge in Dallas County — informs how she anticipates the disputes those plans need to survive.

Lori represents clients across Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, Frisco, Lakewood, Casa Linda, East Dallas, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Complimentary Books, Guides, and Resources

Lori and The Ashmore Law Firm publish a library of complimentary books, checklists, and guides for clients and families evaluating estate planning, probate, or guardianship questions. Requests are handled directly through the firm.

Frequently Asked Questions About Working with Lori Ashmore Peters

What kinds of estate planning and probate cases does Lori Ashmore Peters focus on?

Lori focuses on Texas estate planning, probate administration, and probate litigation — with concentrated experience in complex and high-value estates involving multiple business entities, real estate portfolios, investment structures, and multi-generational family assets. She also handles will contests, guardianship litigation, and fiduciary disputes involving executors, trustees, and beneficiaries.

How long has Lori Ashmore Peters practiced law in Texas?

Lori has practiced Texas law since 1996 — the same year she graduated from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law and joined The Ashmore Law Firm. She has led estate planning and probate matters at the firm ever since.

What is a will contest, and when does one become necessary in Texas?

A will contest is a formal legal challenge to the validity or enforceability of a decedent's will, typically brought during or shortly after the will is admitted to probate. Common grounds include lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, improper execution, fraud, or forgery. Whether a contest is appropriate depends on the specific evidence, the family and financial circumstances, and the statutory deadlines that govern how quickly a challenge must be filed. Lori represents both parties bringing will contests and executors and beneficiaries defending against them.

Can Lori serve as an Attorney Ad Litem or Guardian Ad Litem in Texas Probate Court?

Yes. Lori is certified to serve as Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in the Probate Courts of Texas and has been appointed in numerous probate and guardianship matters. Ad Litem service is a court-appointed role in which an attorney represents a person who cannot represent themselves — often an alleged incapacitated adult in a guardianship proceeding, or a minor or missing beneficiary in a probate matter.

Does Lori Ashmore Peters handle cases that involve both family law and estate planning?

Yes, when the case calls for it. Lori's brother, Gary Ashmore, leads the firm's Family Law practice. When a divorce involves trust assets, business interests, or the need to restructure an estate plan before a final decree is signed, Gary and Lori can work the case together as co-counsel. That collaboration is described on their joint bio page.

What is a contested guardianship in Texas?

A contested guardianship is a court proceeding in which one or more parties dispute whether a person needs a guardian, who should serve as guardian, or the scope of the guardian's authority. Contested guardianships are among the most sensitive matters a Texas Probate Court handles because they touch on personal autonomy, family relationships, and — often — significant assets. Lori represents family members, alleged incapacitated adults, and interested parties in these disputes, and has served as court-appointed Attorney Ad Litem and Guardian Ad Litem in numerous cases.

Where does Lori Ashmore Peters represent clients?

Lori represents clients across Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, Preston Hollow, Frisco, Lakewood, Casa Linda, East Dallas, and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Advertising Disclosure

Lori Ashmore Peters is licensed to practice law in Texas. The recognitions, ratings, and honors listed above — including Super Lawyers®, Best Lawyers in America®, Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent®, Avvo®, Lawyers.com, Justia, 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.

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