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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Dante | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erik Johnson | Heritage Investment Group | Pompano Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erin Mutton | Pathway Financial Advisers | Auburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erol Gokbora | Park Miller | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ethan Pflug | Strong Tower Wealth Management | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gabriel Woodward | Woodward Diversified Capital | Bakersfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Garen Winn | The Norden Group | Provo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gary Rowan | StackStone Wealth | Dubuque | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| George Rettig | Alitus Financial | Land O Lakes | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Geovanny Vega-Zamora | Holder Wealth Management | Champaign | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gerald Kane | Nordwand Capital | Radnor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gerald McIlhon | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gerard McGeough | Chatham Wealth Management | Chatham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gianni Toce | Toce Financial Group | Mandeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ginger Harris | Andina Advisors | Logan | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gloria Maxfield | Women's Worth Advisors | Hilton Head Island, Sc | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Grant Fridley | Powers Advisory Group | Highland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Grant Lawton | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Adams | Optimist Capital | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Johns | StackStone Wealth | Dubuque | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gregory Wilson | GL Trust | Whittier | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Guillermo Vernet | Global Kandor | Miami | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gwendolyn O'Connell | Pacific Crest Wealth Management | Eugene | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hannah Fangmann | StackStone Wealth | Dubuque | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hayden Johnson | The Norden Group | Provo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hunter Beck | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ian Kos | Tetley Investments | Park Ridge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Isabella Ramon | Axia Wealth Management | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ivan Rosa | Optimist Capital | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ivan Thornton | Fiduciary Management Group | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jack Henderson | HS Wealth Partners | Nashville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Linch | Waterfront | Advisors | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Pivonka | Axiom Private Wealth | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Wihtol | Capstone Wealth Advisors | Salem | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jahndavid Teschler | Western Wealth Group | Greenwood Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jake Rubin | Targeted Financial Services | Seminole | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Adams | Adams Wealth Management | Amarillo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Beck | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Curran | Pacific Point Wealth Management | Carlsbad | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Good | Attessa Capital | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Heflin | Yes Wealth Management | Mahtomedi | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Martin | Nordwand Capital | Radnor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Owsley | Schaefer Financial Management | Centennial | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Payne Jr | Targeted Financial Services | Boerne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Farnsworth | Skymark Advisors | Sun City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Finnigan | High Road Wealth Advisors | Coos Bay | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jason McMillen | Portland Private Wealth Management | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Mitchell | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Perkins | The Norden Group | Heber City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Sgroi | Sgroi Wealth | Albany | 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.