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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Kohut | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Naples | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Saxon | Private Wealth Partners | Mill Valley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Shaya | Mission Hills Financial | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Wolff | Arkfeld Wealth Strategies | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jay Conner | Arena Wealth Advisors | Jeffersonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jay Lauer | Plus Group Wealth Advisors | Belgium | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jean-Andre Corpuz | Eagle Bay Family Office | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeanne Hill | Harvest Portfolio Management | North Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Braverman | Whitney & Company | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Bullock | Cedarwood Wealth | Highlands Ranch | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Chase | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Evans | Greenwich Advisors | Greenwich | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Fouts | Fouts Law Group | Elijay | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Monsour | Lees Monsour Group | Shreveport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Sorensen | Cornerstone Advisors | Topeka | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Thomas | Arkos | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Tilson | JST Investment Consulting | Seal Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jeffrey Wetta | Gentry Private Wealth | Wichita | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Widdup | Milinovich & Company | Waynesburg | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jennifer Figurelli | Andrew Hill Investment Advisors | Naples | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jennifer Paterson | Integrity Wealth Management | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jerald Betts | Gentry Private Wealth | Wichita | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremy Bryan | IndiWealth | Maple Grove | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeremy Schlanger | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Tarrytown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremy Six | Foster & Wood | Lake Oswego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeremy Wallace | Wallace Hart Capital Management | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Jessica Bedell | Wallace Hart Capital Management | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Jessica Blake | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Fairchild | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jill Wood | FreeWood Private Wealth Management | Powell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jim Gibbons | High Pines Wealth Management | Duxbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jimmy Cardentey | Guerra Wealth Advisors | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jivko Velev | Velev Advisors | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Regier | Bondurant Investment Advisory | Evanston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Benedict | J2 Capital Management | Troy | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Blair | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Drefcinski | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Eisele | Malvern Capital Management | Malvern | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Fitzgerald | Blue Heron Capital | Englewood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Fredette | CMH Wealth Management | Rye | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Fulmer | Shelton Wealth Management | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Gray | Hamilton Gray Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| John Hall | J.W. Hall Financial | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Hutchinson | Great Falls Wealth Management | Pinehurst | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Krolikowski | Trebuchet Consulting | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Mann | High Probability Advisors | Fort Meyers | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John McCully | Tim Looney Investments | Longwood | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| John Park | Craner Capital | Bountiful | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Paulson | Clear Sky Financial | Prosper | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Prichard | Knightsbridge Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFA | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
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.