Business Protection in Divorce

Quick Overview: Business Protection in Divorce

For business owners, a divorce isn’t just a legal or personal event—it’s a direct threat to the company you’ve built. Whether you own a small business, medical practice, franchise, start-up, professional partnership, or a share in a larger corporation, the outcome of your divorce can affect ownership, control, income, and long-term viability.

At The Ashmore Law Firm, we help entrepreneurs and executives throughout Dallas–Fort Worth protect their companies from disruption, loss of control, and unfair division. We work to ensure your business remains stable, properly valued, and positioned for long-term success—during and after the divorce

Key Facts About Business Protection in Divorce

Your business may be community property—even if you founded it.
Growth during the marriage, reinvested earnings, and increased valuation can all be considered community assets.

Business valuation is crucial.
Judges require a professional valuation to assess equity, goodwill, income, and future earning potential.

Your spouse does not automatically get half the company.
Texas courts aim for a “just and right” division, not a 50/50 split of ownership.

You can often keep full control.
Divisions are typically handled through buyouts, offsets, or alternative assets—not splitting operational control.

Separate property still matters.
Pre-marital ownership, inherited businesses, or gifted equity may remain yours with proper tracing.

Forensic accounting may be required.
Complex cash flow, write-offs, distributions, or shareholder activity may need outside review.

Privacy can be protected.
Mediation and private valuations help keep financial details and internal documents out of public record.

Property & Asset Division for DFW Families

Owning a business changes the entire divorce process. Your company isn’t just an asset—it’s your livelihood, your legacy, the source of your family’s income, and in many cases, the product of decades of hard work. The concern isn’t just dividing what it’s worth; it’s making sure the divorce doesn’t destabilize operations, destroy cash flow, or result in the loss of ownership.

At The Ashmore Law Firm, we represent business owners across Dallas, Fort Worth, Southlake, Plano, Richardson, Keller, McKinney, Frisco, and the greater DFW metroplex. These cases often involve:

• small businesses and partnerships
• medical, dental, and legal practices
• LLCs, S-corps, and family-owned companies
• franchise ownership
• real-estate holding companies
• start-ups and tech firms
• executives with bonus and equity compensation

We work to protect ownership, clarify financial structure, and prevent the divorce from interfering with daily operations.

Determining What’s Community vs. Separate Property

Not all business value belongs to the marital estate. We help trace:

• pre-marital ownership
• capital contributions
• inherited or gifted interests
• protected intellectual property
• separate investments or accounts

Tracing is often the key to protecting your share.

Valuing the Business Fairly

Valuation is one of the most contested areas in a business-owner divorce. We coordinate with trusted valuation experts to analyze:

• equity and ownership percentages
• retained earnings
• cash flow and distributions
• goodwill (personal vs. enterprise)
• market conditions
• comparable business data

Our goal is defensible numbers—not speculation.

Maintaining Operational Control

A divorce should not interfere with how your company runs. We work to ensure:

• your spouse does not gain control or voting rights
• business decisions continue uninterrupted
• employees and partners remain unaffected
• buyouts or offsets protect your ownership
• confidentiality agreements protect sensitive information

Your business should be able to continue without disruption.

Privacy & Discretion

Business-related divorces involve sensitive financial information, internal records, tax returns, and intellectual property. We prioritize mediation and private negotiation whenever possible, keeping your company’s details out of the courtroom and away from public filings.

Areas Served

Dallas County (Casa Linda, Dallas – Lower Greenville, Greenway Parks, Bluffview, Lakewood, Preston Hollow, Park Cities, Highland Park, White Rock Lake, Turtle Creek, East Dallas, Irving, Richardson, Dallas, Grand Prairie, Mesquite, Garland, Farmers Branch, Carrollton)

Tarrant County (Forest Hill, Colleyville, Westover Hills, Westlake, Keller, Southlake, Arlington, Fort Worth, Grapevine, Euless, Bedford, Hurst, North Richland Hills, Haltom City, Mansfield, Saginaw, Watauga, Crowley, Benbrook, Richland Hills, Lake Worth, Azle)

How Ashmore Law can help

Clear Strategy From the Start

We begin by understanding your company’s structure, ownership history, financial documents, and long-term goals. Then we build a clear plan to protect control, trace separate property, and manage valuation strategically.

Strong Documentation & Financial Review

Our team helps gather corporate records, tax filings, partnership documents, financial statements, compensation data, and anything needed to build a strong case. For complex matters, we work with forensic accountants and valuation professionals.

Focused Negotiation That Protects Your Ownership

Most business-related divorces settle outside court. We negotiate agreements that preserve control, protect cash flow, and keep the company intact—while minimizing disruption to operations and employees.

Aggressive Litigation When Necessary

If the other side pushes for unrealistic valuations or tries to undermine your ownership, we are fully prepared to litigate. Our decades of experience in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton County courts give you the advantage of attorneys who know how local judges evaluate high-asset estates.

Schedule Your Confidential Consultation Today