The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C.

10/16/2026

10/15/2026

A friend calls you in a panic.
“Is my marriage over? Can I stay in the house? Do I lose half my retirement?”

They haven’t asked anyone else, because who do you even ask? A lawyer? A counselor? A financial expert?

Usually it’s all three. What do you do about it?

Join us tomorrow for Marriage at a Crossroads: Ask the Right Expert, a live Q&A on Zoom.
🗓 Friday, Oct. 16 · 12:00–1:00 PM CT

Three professionals, one Zoom:
⚖️ Gary Ashmore, Managing Attorney, The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C.
❤️ Dr. Paul Stanford, Stanford Couples Counseling
📈 Amber Seale, CFP®, CDFA®, Wealth Advisor, Seale Wealth Management | Raymond James

You type your question in the chat. No name. No face. No voice. The right expert answers.

Everyone who registers receives a copy of our workbook, Before Goodbye.

🔗 The registration link is in the first comment.

10/14/2026

Your dad left you $250,000 in life insurance when you were 10. Your mom was the guardian, and she spent it on vacations. What do you do about it?

Lori Ashmore Peters of The Ashmore Law Firm weighed in for Moneywise, and the story was picked up by Yahoo Finance. The short answer: a guardian who spends a child’s money on herself has likely broken the law. But deadlines to sue may already have passed.

If you’re naming beneficiaries for your own children, speak to our team to make sure you have the right estate planning protection.

Link to the full story is in the first comment.

10/13/2026

Join us to ask your question. No name, no face, no voice...

10/09/2026

Your loved one has just passed away. While you’re grieving, you’re expected to find the will, notify the banks, deal with the house, and figure out who’s in charge. What do you do about it?

You don’t have to figure it out alone. What to Do When a Loved One Dies (2nd Edition) from The Ashmore Law Firm is a step-by-step roadmap for the days and months after a loss. It covers what needs to be done, in what order, and how to protect your loved one’s assets and your own role along the way.

Request your complimentary copy using the link in the first comment.

10/08/2026

Your dad passes away, and you discover his life insurance was changed to name his second wife. What do you do about it?

Our own Lori Ashmore Peters answered that question for Moneywise, and the article was picked up by Yahoo Finance. There are really only two ways to challenge a beneficiary change: proving your parent lacked capacity or was unduly influenced. And timing matters most. Once the policy pays out, the money is much harder to recover.

The best protection is a beneficiary review and a family conversation while everyone is living. The full article is in the first comment.

Read Lori's interview on Moneywise: https://moneywise.com/insurance/life/life-insurance-beneficiary-rights-stepparent

10/07/2026

Moving in together in Texas? 🏠

Many couples don't realize that living together can open the door to a common law marriage claim. If the relationship ends, that could put your home and the assets you've built at risk.

Common law marriage isn't automatic, and there's no "6-month rule." But if one partner later claims you were married, it can turn into a he-said, she-said fight in court, and you may need a divorce to settle it.

A cohabitation agreement lets you put it in writing: we are not common law married. It also spells out what happens to your property if you split up.

Talk to a family law attorney before you sign a lease, not after.

🔗 Link in the first comment.

10/06/2026

Your dad passes away, and you discover his life insurance was changed to name his second wife.
What do you do about it?

Our own Lori Ashmore Peters answered that question for Moneywise.

There are really only two ways to challenge a beneficiary change: proving your parent lacked capacity or was unduly influenced. And timing matters most. Once the policy pays out, the money is much harder to recover.

The best protection is a family conversation and a beneficiary review while everyone is living.

Read Lori's full interview with Moneywise here: https://moneywise.com/insurance/life/life-insurance-beneficiary-rights-stepparent

10/05/2026

Family law and estate planning should not be separate conversations.

A prenup or postnup may affect what happens during a divorce — but it can also affect what happens at death.

If a marital agreement and a later will are not coordinated, the result may be very different from what either spouse intended.

We have seen situations where a spouse expected to inherit under a will after decades of marriage, only to discover that an older marital agreement still controlled certain property rights.

That is why documents such as:
- Prenups and postnups
- Wills and trusts
- Beneficiary designations
- Retirement accounts
- Life insurance
should be reviewed together.

Learn more about Texas prenuptial agreements:
https://www.ashmorelaw.com/practice_areas/prenuptialagreement.cfm

The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C. — Where Family Law Meets Family Legacy.
214-559-7202
AshmoreLaw.com

10/04/2026

What happens when a parent leaves a large life insurance policy directly to a minor child?

In one case, a father left a $750,000 life insurance policy to his child. Because the child was a minor and there was no estate plan addressing how those funds should be managed, Mom had to become guardian of the child’s estate.

When the child later needed braces, Mom had to provide five years of tax returns to the court before funds from the policy could be used for the expense.

Leaving money to a child is only part of the planning. You also need to consider who will manage it, how it can be used, and whether court involvement will be required.

A properly structured trust can help provide those instructions in advance.

Learn more about guardianship when a child is named as a beneficiary:
https://www.ashmorelaw.com/blog/can-i-name-a-minor-as-a-beneficiary-in-texas.cfm

The Ashmore Law Firm, P.C.
214-559-7202

Informational only. Not legal advice.