Estate & legacy planning
Estate and legacy planning covers the coordination of wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, lifetime gifting, generation-skipping and dynasty planning, and the implementation work that sits between the attorney's documents and the household balance sheet. Advisors listed here coordinate closely with trusts-and-estates counsel and carry the plan forward through life events.
By the numbers
The Wellspent public graph lists 6,173 fee-only financial advisors focused on estate & legacy planning at 2,325 firms, most in Houston, San Diego and Austin. 44% hold the CFP certification. Of the 6162 with fees on file, 91% charge percentage of assets.
- Advisors listed
- 6,173
- Firms
- 2,325
- Cities
- 1,184
- Hold the CFP
- 44%
- Other credentials: CFA 9% · CPA 2% · EA 1%
- How they charge (of 6162 with fees on file): percentage of assets 91% · fixed fees 54% · hourly 44% · ongoing planning fee 12%
Source: Wellspent public graph, data as of . Shares are of advisors listed here; an advisor can hold several credentials or fee types. Methodology
Advisors with depth in estate & legacy planning
| Advisor | Firm | City | Credentials | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Dawson | Arkos | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Craig Pfeiffer | RiskBridge Advisors | Norwalk | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Sneed | Steel Grove | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Craig Steinbrink | St. Clair Advisors | Mayfield Heights | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cynthia Curtis Nelson | Eagle Bay Family Office | San Juan | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cynthia-Elaine Schlanger | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dallas Wheeler | Plan Group | Oklahoma City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Damian Dufour | Fiduciary Benefits Group | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Dane Nelson | Northern Edge Wealth Management | Marquette | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Danette Harfst | Harfst and Associates | Sheridan | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Carter | Sierra Management Group | Reno | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Evans | StrategyCap | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Kain | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Martinez | ENZI Wealth | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Nunez | Guerra Wealth Advisors | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Portnoy | Greenwich Advisors | Greenwich | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Quartararo | Cogent Private Wealth | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Speirs | Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors | San Luis Obispo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Danielle Bailey | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dante Milanesi | MDT Financial Advisors | Webster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darin Snow | Denver Private Wealth Management | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darrell Brooks | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Darren Williams | Wallace Hart Capital Management | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Dave Straley | 3rd Creek | Incline Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Berkowitz | VAP Wealth Advisors | Red Bank | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David D'Eredita | Rise Private Wealth Advisors | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Greenleigh | LGG Financial | Bethesda | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Hammond | Christian Values Investing | Statesboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David McGowan | James Investment | Xenia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Mott | Nexus One Financial Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Mullen | Little House Capital | Braintree | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Mulnix | Willamette Wealth Partners | Kalispell | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Pankiw | CUBIC Advisors | Wayne | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Ream | Blue Water Wealth | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Ringler | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Tarrytown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Sommer | St. Clair Advisors | Mayfield Heights | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Wolf | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dean Kohmann | Kohmann Bosshard | Akron | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Deanna Rens | Petros Family Wealth | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dennis Jackson | Allred Jackson | North Logan | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dennis Perdue | Westover Capital Advisors | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derek Collins | Cogent Private Wealth | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Derek Pawlak | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Derek Robertson | Integrated Investment Strategies | Carmel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diana Malcom | Choate Wealth | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diane Rose | James Investment | Xenia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dilish Dudhia | Aspen Financial Management | Arlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dimitri Poland | Braeburn Wealth Management | Muskegon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dione Ramos | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dmitry Popov | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
Guides
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Estate attorney vs financial planner: who does what in an estate plan
An estate attorney drafts and signs the legal documents: wills, trusts, powers of attorney. A financial planner works out what those documents should do and keeps beneficiaries, accounts and taxes lined up. Most people need the attorney for the documents and a planner for the rest.
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Estate planning in Canada: what you need and what it costs
A Canadian estate plan is a will, two powers of attorney, up-to-date beneficiary designations and a plan for the tax due at death. The documents come from a lawyer or notary; a one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median C$1,900.
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Setting up an estate plan: the documents and the order
A basic estate plan is a will, a durable financial power of attorney, a healthcare directive and up-to-date beneficiary forms, plus a revocable trust for many families. Federal estate tax starts at $15 million in 2026, but some states tax estates from $1 million. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median $2,000.
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After a death in the family: the first 90 days
In the first 90 days, get death certificates, secure the home and accounts, find the will and let the deadlines set the order. Most money decisions can wait. A few can't, including Social Security paid for the month of death and, for estates that need one, an estate tax return due 9 months after the death.
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How to review your beneficiary designations
Beneficiary forms decide who receives your retirement accounts, life insurance and transfer-on-death accounts, whatever your will says. Check every form after a marriage, divorce, birth or death. A divorce doesn't reliably remove an ex from a workplace plan, and a 401(k) generally goes to your spouse unless they sign a witnessed waiver.
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Financial planning for a blended family
In a second marriage, the default rules often leave everything to the new spouse and nothing to children from before. Beneficiary forms, trusts and a written agreement fix that. A one-time plan from a fee-only planner costs a median $2,000.