Firm attorney's article explains why clients are best served when the legal divorce and the emotional divorce are handled as two different things
DALLAS, Texas — September 1, 2026 — The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C. today announced that an article by firm attorney Hamid Naraghi, "The Role of Mental Health Professionals in Family Law Cases," has been published in the September 2026 Family Law issue of Headnotes, the monthly publication of the Dallas Bar Association.
The article addresses a question the firm confronts in nearly every divorce and custody matter: what happens when a client's grief, anger, or fear starts driving legal decisions? Naraghi argues that clients get better outcomes when their attorneys focus on legal strategy and advocacy while the emotional side of the case is addressed through the right support — divorce coaching, therapy, parenting coordination, or custody evaluation, depending on the situation — and that the two should never be confused for each other.
"Lawyers resolve the legal divorce. Mental health professionals help clients navigate the emotional divorce, while family law clients deserve both."
-Hamid Naraghi, Managing Family Law Attorney
That principle is built into how The Ashmore Law Firm handles every case. Naraghi, an attorney who also provides the firm's divorce coaching, helps clients identify what is emotional and what is legal in their case and connect with outside professionals when that would help.
"We work as a team on every case, and our clients are only billed for one attorney's time, not two or three. But the legal team is only part of it. We provide divorce coaching as part of our process at no additional cost, because one of the first things we help clients do is separate the emotional divorce from the legal one.
"Everyone needs a support system, and never more than when you're going from one household to two. We care about the whole person, 360 degrees, not just the case file. When we see that a therapist, a financial planner, or another professional could benefit a client, we make that referral. Our job is to make sure they come out the other side with a life that works."
Gary Ashmore, Co-founder and Managing Attorney
Naraghi's article notes that the benefit extends to families with children, where parents in high-conflict cases often struggle to separate their emotions from their parenting decisions. Coaching and mental health support can provide communication tools and child-focused guidance that legal advocacy alone cannot, which frequently makes negotiations more constructive and reduces litigation costs.
Headnotes is read by more than 12,000 Dallas Bar Association members each month. The Ashmore Law Firm is a member of the 2026 DBA 100 Club, recognizing firms with 100 percent membership in the association.
The full article appears on page 46 of the September 2026 issue (Vol. 51, No. 9), available now from the Dallas Bar Association at https://www.dallasbar.org/Headnotes.
About The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C. Founded in 1987 by the late Judge Joseph E. Ashmore, Jr., The Ashmore Law Firm is a Dallas boutique firm practicing family law, estate planning, and probate under one roof. Where Family Law Meets Family Legacy. Learn more at AshmoreLaw.com.
Media Contact The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C. 214-559-7202 | attorneys@ashmorelaw.com
