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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Dively | Colmina | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Dutzmann | Round Table Investment Strategies | Littleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nathan Fullmer | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Magdanz | Convergence | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nathan Townsend | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Neal Richards | Axiom Wealth Strategies | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Neil Murphy | NPM Consulting | Ridgewood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Niamh Aitken | Forth Capital | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Gorry | Eminence WM | Orlando | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Ippolito | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Noll | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Sutro | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Tarrytown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Ventura | Eden Advisory Services | Albany | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nick Krautscheid | Gannett Wealth Advisors | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicola Barton | Forth Capital | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nikki Hamblin | High Probability Advisors | Pittsford | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nina Strozak | Wealth Preservation Advisors | Chattanooga | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Noah Lehman | Boden Wealth | Lemoyne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Norman Auger | Alta Strada Wealth | Lincoln | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Olivia Otoole | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Orville Igharas | Piedmont Trust | Greenboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Oscar Castro | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paola Quintero Salazar | True Wave Financial Planners | Sacramento | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patricia Eddy | Oxford Planning Group | Woodstock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Campbell | Midwestern Financial Group | Iowa City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Clark | Charter Research & Investment Group | Southport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Collins | Choate Wealth | Boston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Haley | Veridan Wealth | West Linn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Hitchcock | Moment Partners | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Knowles | The Knowles Company | Oakton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Peters | Wealth Preservation Advisors | Chattanooga | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Reid | Plan2Thrive Financial Services | Eldridge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Severson | TrueWealth Financial Partners San Diego | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Vance | Ark Advisors | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Furcinito | Florek Financial | Duxbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Harney | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Hofland | Nexus One Financial Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Paul Maynor | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Dover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Weaver | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paula Luciani | Charter Research & Investment Group | Southport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Payton Simon | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Detwiler | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Girolamo | Retirement Wealth Center | Thousand Oaks | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Kalianiotis | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Lautmann | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter McCleskey | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Schumacher | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Weiss | Modus Advisors | Excelsior | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Petr Burunov | Ambassador Wealth Management | Vancouver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Phillip McGrath | Waterstone Financial Advisory | Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed 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.