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In this two-part Life’s Third Act series, Joe Cordell and Sherry Farmer revisit the life and legacy of Shelley Duvall and uncover the estate planning choices that shaped her final years. We explore her career highlights from Brewster McCloud and The Shining to her award-winning children’s programming, her long partnership with Dan Gilroy, and why dying without a will can leave loved ones in conflict.

In Part 1, we set the stage for the legal questions that follow: no children of her own, a close-knit family of siblings, a long-term partner, property in Texas, and no estate plan on record. We discuss how health, isolation, and timing can complicate decisions and why clear planning for unmarried partners matters.

Stay tuned next week for Part 2, which dives into common-law marriage in Texas, heirship, probate, and how disputes like these get resolved.