What Happens During a Divorce Second Opinion Strategy Session
A second opinion session at The Ashmore Law Firm is a focused, confidential consultation — not a sales pitch. You bring what you have: court filings, financial disclosures, proposed settlement agreements, or simply your questions and concerns. Our attorneys review the information, assess the legal and financial landscape of your case, and give you a direct, honest assessment of what we see.
That assessment may confirm that your case is on solid ground. It may identify specific areas where additional analysis or negotiation would protect your interests. In some cases, it reveals that assets have been overlooked, valuations are incomplete, or that the proposed settlement terms carry significant financial risk that has not been clearly communicated to you.
You are not required to hire us as a result of the session. The goal is to give you the independent perspective you need to make an informed decision about how to proceed.
What to bring to your strategy session:
- Divorce petition and any court orders already in place
- Proposed or draft settlement agreements
- Financial disclosures and inventory and appraisement documents
- Information about businesses, real estate, retirement accounts, or investment portfolios involved in the case
- Any specific questions or concerns about how your case is being handled
What We Evaluate — The 360° Strategy Review
Our review of a divorce case goes beyond a surface read of the paperwork. Our legal team evaluates multiple dimensions of the case simultaneously:
Overall case strategy. Is the current approach aligned with your long-term financial goals? Are the right legal tools being used — negotiation, mediation, litigation — at the right time?
Asset identification and characterization. Have all marital assets been properly identified? Is separate property being correctly distinguished from community property? Are there assets — digital accounts, business interests, deferred compensation — that may have been overlooked?
Valuation accuracy. Are businesses, real estate, and investment accounts being valued correctly? Is the methodology being used for business valuation appropriate for the type of entity involved? Are liabilities — loans, deferred taxes, contingent obligations — being accounted for alongside gross asset values?
Financial exposure. What are the tax consequences of the proposed division? Are retirement accounts being divided with proper instruments like QDROs? Are there indemnification gaps that could leave you exposed to the other party's debts after the divorce is final?
Negotiation and litigation positioning. Is your case prepared for the full range of outcomes — including trial — or is the current strategy dependent on the other party agreeing to terms they have shown no willingness to accept?
360° Divorce Support — Legal Strategy and Personal Guidance
Divorce affects more than financial accounts and legal documents. It affects daily life, parenting relationships, professional focus, and long-term personal stability. For clients navigating a complex or high-conflict case, The Ashmore Law Firm provides access to a divorce coach as part of our team-based approach — a professional who works alongside your legal team to help you manage the personal dimensions of the process.
A divorce coach can help with:
- Preparing for difficult negotiations or emotionally charged conversations
- Staying organized and maintaining focus during a lengthy or contentious process
- Clarifying personal priorities that should inform your legal decisions
- Managing stress and maintaining decision-making clarity throughout the case
- Improving communication with your co-parent or the other party when children are involved
This integrated approach — legal strategy and personal support working together — helps clients make better decisions under pressure.
Who Leads Your Divorce Strategy Review
Second opinion consultations at The Ashmore Law Firm are led by Managing Attorney Gary Ashmore, who has more than 30 years of experience handling complex divorce and family law matters in Dallas County, Collin County, Denton County, and throughout the DFW Metroplex. Gary is a Super Lawyers honoree in Family Law, holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a 10.0 Avvo rating, and a 4.8 client rating. He has lectured at the Texas College for Judicial Studies on the intersection of family and probate law and has represented clients in matters ranging from straightforward agreed divorces to multimillion-dollar high-asset disputes involving business interests, real estate portfolios, and complex financial structures.
Gary Ashmore is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Association, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and Collaborative Law Dallas.
What Makes a Strong Divorce Strategy
A second opinion is only as useful as the framework used to evaluate your case. At The Ashmore Law Firm, every strategy review is conducted using a team-based approach — not a single attorney reading through your documents in isolation. Your case is evaluated by a group that includes Managing Attorney and firm owner Gary Ashmore, dedicated family law attorneys, and trial-experienced litigators who understand how a case needs to be built not just for settlement but for the courtroom. This multi-attorney perspective means your situation is assessed from multiple angles simultaneously — legal strategy, financial analysis, litigation readiness, and long-term outcome — which is exactly how complex divorce cases should be evaluated.
Comprehensive asset identification. We confirm that all marital assets have been identified — including those that are easily overlooked, such as unvested equity, digital assets, deferred compensation, and business goodwill.
Accurate valuation. We assess whether assets are being valued at fair market value using appropriate methodologies, and whether liabilities are being properly offset against gross asset figures — particularly in cases involving businesses, investment properties, or multi-entity ownership structures.
Long-term financial impact. Settlement decisions made today affect financial stability for years. We evaluate proposed terms not just for immediate fairness but for their long-term tax, retirement, and wealth implications.
Negotiation and settlement planning. We assess whether the proposed settlement fairly reflects the full marital estate and whether there is a realistic path to a better outcome through continued negotiation, mediation, or litigation.
Litigation readiness. Even when settlement is the goal, a case that is not prepared for trial is a case that negotiates from a position of weakness. We evaluate whether your current preparation supports the leverage you need.
We serve clients throughout Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, the Park Cities, East Dallas, Lakewood, Uptown, and surrounding communities in Collin, Denton, Tarrant, Rockwall, and Ellis counties.
