How a Niece Stole Her 92 Year Old Aunt’s Life Savings to Buy a $529,000 House

Attorney and CPA Joe Cordell walks through how a 92 year old woman’s life savings became the target in a family exploitation fight. In the second part of our three part series, Joe details the real life story behind our protection planning discussion. Mildred Callahan, a 92 year old retiree in Arizona living with dementia, had disinherited her niece Rhonda Lynn Orr back in 2013. Years later, Rhonda gained control of Mildred’s accounts, opened a credit card in her name, tapped her CD and annuity, and tried to move $200,000 in one transfer that Bank of America stopped.

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!

Staying Protected In Your Later Years

Many parents assume their children will step in to protect them as they age. Attorney and CPA Joe Cordell explains why that assumption can leave you vulnerable, and what to plan instead.

In this episode of Life’s Third Act, Joe lays out a practical message we call balance of life planning. As families live farther apart, face estrangement, and feel sandwich generation pressure, even loving kids may not be nearby, available, or suited to manage your finances and care alone. Joe walks through why vulnerability plus assets with no protector creates the perfect conditions for financial exploitation, and how tools like professional fiduciaries and co trusteeship can add a layer of protection.

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!

Estate Planning Meets Divorce: What Makes a Prenup Hold Up in Court

You can write a prenup that says anything. Getting a court to enforce it is the whole game. In the second part of our two part crossover with the No Judgement Podcast, estate planning attorney John Sauter and senior litigation partner Wil Halaz pick up where they left off and walk through what actually makes a prenuptial agreement hold up: reasonableness, consideration, time to review, and the terms a judge will simply throw out. They also settle the question almost everyone gets wrong, why keeping a separate bank account does not keep your money separate, and why a trust sometimes does the job better than an agreement.

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!

Estate Planning Meets Divorce: What a Prenup Actually Protects

When divorce and estate planning collide, most people only think about the breakup, not the paperwork. In this crossover episode with the No Judgement Podcast, estate planning attorney John Sauter and litigation partner Wil Halaz sit down to tackle the intersection of family law and estate planning, and why a prenuptial agreement may be the most powerful planning tool you never considered.

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!

Why You Need an Estate Plan: A Real World Example

A real life example can teach you more than a hundred hypotheticals. In this episode, Joe shares the story of a friend’s brother, a 75-year-old retired physician who spent his life saving carefully, built an estate worth roughly $3 million, and never put a single piece of planning in place. Then he had a stroke, and everything his loved ones thought they understood fell apart. This is the clearest look yet at why an estate plan is about protecting you while you’re still here, not just deciding where your assets go.

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!

Will vs Trust Explained: What Actually Protects You and Your Family

Estate planning is usually framed as a matter of what happens after you’re gone. But as attorney and CPA Joe Cordell explains, a trust may matter most for the years you’re still here. In this episode of Life’s Third Act, Joe breaks down the difference between a will and a trust, why the family you’re planning for may not look like the one your parents planned for, and the one risk almost nobody plans for that is far more likely than an early death.

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!

Back to School: Legal Paperwork Your College Student Needs

When your child turns 18, the law treats them as an adult. That means you lose the automatic right to make decisions for them, even if you are paying for college. Cordell & Cordell Senior Estate Planning Attorney John Sauter explains why parents overlook this moment, and the three documents that give you the legal authority to help when they need you most.

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!

Bob Weir’s Final Act: Family, Trusts, and a $60 Million Fortune

In the final part of our three part series on Bob Weir, we look at how the Grateful Dead’s rhythm guitarist turned a lifetime of chaos into one of rock’s most disciplined financial legacies. 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!

Bob Weir’s Publishing Deal: The Real Source of His Wealth

Bob Weir’s business acumen, specifically his management of song publishing rights, is the secret engine behind his enduring financial legacy. In this episode, we break down how the Grateful Dead moved beyond traditional touring revenue to build a powerhouse of intellectual property ownership.

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!

Bob Weir’s $60M Legacy: The Business Behind the Grateful Dead

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!