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!

Fotis Dulos took his own life before he could face a jury, but that didn’t end the legal battle. From defense attorneys fighting for their retainers to the application of the “Slayer Statute,” the Dulos case is a masterclass in how a “bad actor” can drain an estate’s value while the legal system slowly grinds away.

Our Marriage, Murder, and Money (MMM) series continues as we conclude our deep dive into the Fotis Dulos story. While the first half of this case focused on the disappearance and the immediate probate battle, this installment looks at the legal aftermath following Fotis’s death—and the massive effort required to protect the children’s inheritance from $7 million in debt and aggressive creditors.

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!

Jennifer Farber Dulos was a mother of five who disappeared without a trace during a high-stakes divorce. What followed was a $2.5 million legal battle that exposed the unique vulnerabilities of an estate in the midst of a family crisis. Our Marriage, Murder, and Money (MMM) series continues as we begin a deep dive into the tragic story of Fotis Dulos. In this opening installment, we explore how Jennifer’s family used the Probate Court to freeze assets and protect the children even before a body was found. From the massive lawsuits filed by her mother, Gloria, to the strategic use of an “Absentee Estate,” we break down the legal roadmap that every family should understand.

Harold Henthorn thought he had committed the perfect crime on federal land, but the law had other plans. What followed was a legal reckoning that utilized the “Slayer Statute” to ensure his $4.5 million motive would never be realized. In Part 3 of Marriage, Murder & Money, attorney and CPA Joe Cordell breaks down the Henthorn case from the inside — not as a crime story, but as a case study in how estate law responds when federal jurisdiction and the Slayer Statute collide to strip a killer of his inheritance.

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!

Harold Henthorn took his wife Toni on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park — and came home alone. What followed was a $4.5 million battle that exposed every vulnerability in their estate plan. In Part 2 of Marriage, Murder & Money, attorney and CPA Joe Cordell breaks down the Henthorn case from the inside — not as a crime story, but as a case study in how estate law responds when your spouse becomes your killer.

What this episode covers:

• How Harold secretly changed the beneficiary on Toni’s life insurance — from their daughter Haley’s trust to himself

• Why insurance companies filed interpleader actions instead of paying out — and what that tells you about your own policies

• How Toni’s family (the Bertolets) used probate as a weapon to freeze Harold’s access to her estate

• Why Harold was removed as personal representative and replaced with a court-appointed special administrator

• What the Slayer Statute is, and exactly how it blocked Harold from collecting on Toni’s $4.5 million

• The one estate planning move — naming a contingent beneficiary — that could have protected Haley from day one

The trial ends at the verdict. The estate battle is a different story entirely.

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.