Life's Third Act

Bob Weir passed away in January of this year at 78, leaving behind an estimated $60 million estate — but the real story isn’t the number, it’s how a band built on chaos, “socialistic” values, and zero interest in profit somehow protected that fortune for five decades.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

Chuck Norris built a remarkable life through discipline, thoughtful decisions, and careful management of his family, businesses, and legacy. In this final episode of our Chuck Norris series, we examine his 2010 will and the estate-planning decisions designed to protect his family and preserve the assets he spent a lifetime building.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

The life and career of Chuck Norris offer a compelling case study on the intersection of personal relationships and high-stakes business success. Today, in this second of three episodes on Chuck Norris, we delve into the early years of his career, examining how his first marriage and his initial ventures into production and business shaped his financial future.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

Chuck Norris is one of the most recognizable names in American culture — but behind the memes and the movies is a disciplined, methodical estate builder who built a $70 million legacy from almost nothing. In Part 1 of our three-part series, we trace how it started.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

Welcome to another episode of Life’s Third Act. In our previous episode, we discussed the immediate steps to take following a loss. Today, we’re moving forward to address the complex legal and financial roadmap that follows—the practical, often overwhelming reality of stepping into the role of executor.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

Losing a loved one is incredibly difficult, and the administrative burdens that follow can feel overwhelming. In this episode of Life’s Third Act, we move past the headlines to provide you with a practical, step-by-step guide on what to do immediately after someone passes away.

From securing the premises and notifying the proper authorities to understanding the legal differences in state laws regarding who has the authority to make decisions for the deceased, we cover the essential actions you need to know. Whether you are dealing with an unexpected loss or planning for the future, understanding these first steps is crucial for protecting your family’s interests and managing the estate effectively.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

In December 2019, a Colorado court entered a $6 million wrongful death judgment against Chris Watts — $3 million for Shanann and $1 million for each of his daughters. It was a default judgment. He didn’t even appear.

In this second of two episodes on the Watts case, we examine the legal and financial aftermath of the murders — the wrongful death action, how Colorado’s intestate succession laws directed Shanann’s estate to her parents, and the complicated story of the Frederick, Colorado home that sat in legal limbo for years before finally selling. We also take a hard look at the psychology behind the crime itself: why a man with no history of violence, earning over $100,000 a year, would choose murder over divorce. The answer — rooted in the psychiatric concept of a “family annihilator” and its “clean slate” subtype — is one of the most instructive case studies we’ve encountered in this series.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

In August 2018, Chris Watts confessed to murdering his pregnant wife Shanann and their two young daughters in Frederick, Colorado. It became one of the most watched true crime stories in American history. But we want to come at it from a different angle. What most people don’t know is that in the years leading up to the murders, Chris and Shanann Watts were drowning financially — a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing in 2015, over $400,000 in liabilities, and a joint savings account that held just $3.51. They were earning $120,000 to $140,000 a year and still couldn’t stay afloat. In this installment of our Marriage, Murder & Money miniseries, the first of two episodes on the Watts case, we examine the financial collapse that preceded the crime — the credit card debt, the HOA lawsuit, the MLM income that papered over serious structural problems, and what all of it tells us about the kind of financial vulnerability that can quietly exist inside a marriage. This is what we mean when we talk about deal-killers. And in this case, the stakes couldn’t have been higher.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

How did Kouri Richins manage to systematically drain over $500,000 from her husband’s estate despite Eric’s attempts to protect himself? In Part 2 of our deep dive, attorney and CPA Joe Cordell explores the financial fallout of the Kouri Richins case and the critical estate planning lessons we can learn from it.

We analyze the complex reality of “financial infidelity” in a marriage. From the vulnerability created by the “Marital Unity Paradox” to the specific estate planning defensive measures Eric took—including trusts, new wills, and private investigators—we breakdown why even the best legal defenses can fail when they run up against a determined exploitive spouse.This is the conclusion of our “Marriage, Murder, and Money” (MMM) look at the Kouri Richins story.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

Marriage is often called a “blind spot” for fraud. In the first part of our Kouri Richins deep dive, we explore how a $2 million secret debt, forged signatures, and a “Deal-Killer” known as financial infidelity created a motive for one of the most high-profile cases in recent Utah history. Joe Cordell, attorney and CPA, breaks down the “Marital Unity Paradox”—the unique legal and emotional vulnerability that allows a dishonest spouse to exploit the person closest to them. How did Eric Richins end up with a secret $250,000 home equity line of credit in his name? Why did the legal system fail to flag the forgery before it was too late?

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!