What happens to your estate when your spouse is the one who killed you? This episode examines one of estate law’s darkest questions — and the answer will change how you think about everything you’ve signed. Attorney and CPA Joe Cordell opens a new mini-series exploring what happens to marital assets, life insurance, and inheritance rights when a spouse commits murder. Using the case of Harold and Toni Henthorn — a Colorado man convicted of pushing his wife off a cliff — Joe unpacks how estate planning and inheritance law respond when the person named as your beneficiary is also your killer. What is the slayer rule? How do courts apply it? And what legal presumptions built into marriage — joint asset ownership, healthcare proxies, life insurance beneficiaries, even the right to control your remains — create dangerous vulnerabilities that most people never plan for? This isn’t just true crime. It’s a masterclass in why estate planning decisions you make today matter far more than you realize.

In Part 2 of this Life’s Third Act series, we continue breaking down the Michael Jackson estate and trust, focusing on the real-world conflicts that arise after the plan is in place. This episode explores the growing tension between trustees and beneficiaries, including disputes over spending, investment decisions like the upcoming biopic, and frustrations around communication and transparency. We also unpack how probate delays, IRS battles, and ongoing litigation have impacted distributions to Michael Jackson’s children, and why even a highly successful estate can still create friction. Finally, we bring it back to practical estate planning lessons, including how to structure communication, choose the right trustee, and draft a trust that anticipates conflict before it happens. Stay tuned as we turn one of the most high-profile estates in history into actionable guidance you can use in your own planning.

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!

More than 15 years after his death, Michael Jackson’s estate is still making headlines and still tied up in complex legal and financial issues. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Life’s Third Act breaks down how Jackson’s trust was structured, what went right, and what created ongoing complications. Joined by Mellany McDonald, Senior Litigation Attorney at Cordell & Cordell, the discussion uses Jackson’s estate as a real-world case study to explain how trusts actually function over time. From massive debt at the time of death to a dramatic financial turnaround, this episode explores how trusts operate not as static containers but as active, evolving entities that require strategy, management, and the right people in charge. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive deeper into the IRS battle and valuation disputes surrounding the estate.

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!