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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pieter Conradie | Wealth Advisors Northwest | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Preston Byrnes | Guerra Wealth Advisors | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Quinlan Ingraham | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Binghamton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Quinton Vlach | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachel Potters | OLIO Financial Planning | Blacksburg | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Randall Kronour | Kapstone Financial Advisors | Lebanon | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Randy Tam | Beyond Wealth Advisory | South San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raygn Robertson | Altura Private Wealth | Centerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Raymond Morris | High Pines Wealth Management | Duxbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Raymond Wilson | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Tarrytown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raymundo Flores | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Regan Shipp | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Crawford | Highline Private Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Culpepper | James Investment | Xenia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Dombrowski | Rigden Capital Strategies | Erie | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Ervolino | Fouts Law Group | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Franz | Sagace Wealth | St. Petersburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Fruth | Fruth Investment Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Kuchen | Private Wealth Partners | Mill Valley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Leimgruber | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Tarrytown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Saxon | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Skeppstrom | Brockenbrough | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richelle Hofer | Impact Wealth Management | Sioux Falls | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Rilee Erickson | Fidelis Wealth Advisors | Big Piney | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Riley Beal | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Boggs | Catawba River Capital | Belmont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Burns | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Deitrick | Polaris Financial Partners | Westerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Grimm | Boden Wealth | Lemoyne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Guerra | Guerra Pan Advisors | Montclair | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Lloyd | Revolution Partners | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Mooney | Sunpointe Investments | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Phelps | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Scharar | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Seid | Blue Summit Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Wagler | Great Falls Wealth Management | Pinehurst | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Williams | Poinciana Advisors Group | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robin Sterneck | Sterneck Capital Management | Kansas City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robyn Macy | Cadinha & Co | Honolulu | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rodney Palmer | Barnes Wealth Management Group | Bakersfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rolfe Spiegel | Three Waters Financial | Ignacio | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Roy Fairman | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roy Hyde | Strategic Advisory Partners | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roy McGuffin | Kapstone Financial Advisors | Lebanon | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Rusti Pitts | Bonner & Smith | Lubbock | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Babeuf | Edge Wealth Management | Havertown | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Bolanos | RiskBridge Advisors | Norwalk | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Cass | Beacon Financial Partners | Cleveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Craner | Craner Capital | Bountiful | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Halleran | GenSphere Private Wealth | Sammamish | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
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.