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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Carl | High Probability Advisors | Pittsford | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Casey | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Estero | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Green | Seneca Financial Advisors | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Hammond | Christian Values Investing | Statesboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Miller | C.H. Dean | Beavercreek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Sustrick | Honu Wealth | Sunnyvale | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Stephen Tuttle | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephenie Scelfo | BCM Advisors | Lafayette | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Baumrucker | Adams Brown Wealth Consultants | Wichita | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Crawford | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Farmand | Farmand, Farmand & Farmand | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Miller | Trebuchet Consulting | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Morneau | Greenhill Financial Partners | Rutland | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Steven Price | Avondale Wealth Advisors | West Lake Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Sansom | Steel Grove | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Wagner | Omnia Family Wealth | Aventura | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stuart Brisgel | B1 Financial | Aventura | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Susan Foard | Pugh Wealth Management | Knoxville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Susan Maxey | Atlas Legacy Advisors | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Susan Riser Whitlock | Infinite Wealth Advisors | Mooresville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Susan Shackelford | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tammy Stoerkel | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tanner Carriere | Northern Edge Wealth Management | Marquette | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Tanya Gilliam | Berry Wealth Group | Granbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tarun Mehta | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Rockville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tayeb Ayat | Fenul Wealth Management | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Teagan Parker | Rosemeyer Management Group | Great Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ted Taplett | Strategic Finance | Clackamas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Teresa Coleman | Creekside Partners | Petaluma | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Teresa Hughes | Integrity Wealth Management | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Terrance McGuire | Ridgewood Investments | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terrence Scroggin | MSP Wealth Management | Klamath Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terry Bussard | Nexus One Financial Advisors | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thad King | Cedarwood Wealth | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thiago Glieger | RMG Advisors | Rockville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Abbood | Veritas Wealth Management | North Kingstown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Brown | Fouts Law Group | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Craner | Craner Capital | Bountiful | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Dettre | True North Financial Planning | South Burlington | Not listed | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Jenkins | Petros Family Wealth | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Mazza | Premier Estate Planners | Clinton Township | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Staerker | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Thornhill | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Tracy | Forth Capital | Edinburgh, United Kingdom | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Volkmann | Plus Group Wealth Advisors | Belgium | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Ballard | Steel Grove | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Boulanger | Strategic Family Wealth Counselors | Fairfield | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Kulick | Denver Private Wealth Management | Centennial | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Lucio | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Luker | Brightstone Advisors | Fishers | 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.