Lizzie Borden’s Estate: Lessons From a Century-Old Estate Plan – PT. 2 – EP. 199 – Life’s Third Act

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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 this follow-up to our live Lizzie Borden Halloween episode, attorney CPA Joe Cordell returns to explore the part of the story most people never hear: Lizzie’s life after the trial and what happened to her estate. While the world remembers the sensational 1892 murders and her surprising acquittal, far less is known about how Lizzie lived out her remaining decades, her relationship with her sister Emma, her connection to actress Nance O’Neil, and the choices she made when it came to inheritance, assets, and charitable giving.

Joe walks through the sisters’ move to Maplecroft, their eventual estrangement, the social fallout Lizzie faced in Fall River, and the surprising way she managed and grew her wealth. Then he breaks down the probate battle that followed her death, why her will created six years of litigation, and what her estate decisions reveal about planning, precision, and the importance of choosing the right documents and executor.

If you’re interested in how real historical estates work—or how even a century-old case can teach us modern lessons about wills, trusts, and end-of-life planning—this episode completes the story.

Conway Twitty’s Estate: Bloodlines and Blended Families – PT. 3 – EP. 198 – Life’s Third Act

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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 the final episode of our three-part series on Conway Twitty, we bring the estate battle to its conclusion—and unpack the full legal, emotional, and financial toll it took on his family. After Conway’s death, his outdated will, lack of a prenup, and complex assets left his heirs entangled in more than a decade of litigation, culminating in court-ordered auctions, forced asset sales, and deep family divisions.

Joe Cordell dissects the sale of Twitty City, the fight over Conway’s intellectual property and music royalties, and the controversial move to involve his surviving spouse in asset management. You’ll hear how the children eventually regained control of his music catalog—at a steep legal cost—and how unresolved loans, poor planning, and executor decisions fueled conflict at every turn.

This episode also explores the broader lessons for anyone with a business, second marriage, or blended family: the importance of updating estate plans, choosing executors wisely, and anticipating what can go wrong before it’s too late.

Conway Twitty’s Estate: Bloodlines and Blended Families – PT. 2 – EP. 197 – Life’s Third Act

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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 Part 2 of our Conway Twitty series, we shift from his music legacy to the complex and highly contested estate he left behind. After his sudden death in 1993, Conway’s simple will—written before his final marriage—left everything to his four children, but made no mention of his surviving spouse. What followed was a decade of litigation, family rifts, and court battles that exposed just how devastating poor estate planning can be.

In this episode, Joe Cordell details the legal conflicts that erupted, including the Tennessee law that allowed his third wife to claim one-third of the estate despite a short marriage—sparking a push to change state law through what’s now known as the “Conway Twitty Amendment.” He also explore the role of the executors, the emotional fallout from auctioning off personal memorabilia, and why failing to update your will can lead to generational damage.

Whether you’re a Conway Twitty fan or someone trying to protect your family’s future, this episode is packed with real-world lessons about wills, spousal rights, probate disputes, and the high cost of delay. Stay tuned next week for the conclusion of this interesting story.

Conway Twitty’s Estate: Bloodlines and Blended Families – PT. 1 – EP. 196 – Life’s Third Act

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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!

Before his name became country music royalty, Conway Twitty was just Harold Lloyd Jenkins—a small-town kid with a big voice, big hair, and even bigger dreams. In this episode of Life’s Third Act, we take a deep dive into Conway’s remarkable rise to fame, from his early rockabilly days and pop stardom to his bold switch to country and his record-breaking 55 number-one Billboard hits.

On this episode of Life’s Third Act, Joe and Sherry explore his long-standing partnership with Loretta Lynn, the creation of his iconic Twitty City estate, and the complicated web of marriages, children, and professional ties that defined his personal life. As they uncover the family dynamics behind the scenes, it becomes clear that while Conway may have kept the peace while alive, his sudden death at 59 left a void—and a tangled estate that would spark major disputes.

This is Part 1 of our three-part series, setting the stage for the probate battles, legal lessons, and legacy challenges we’ll unpack in the episodes to come. Don’t miss what’s next.