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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Frank | High Road Wealth Advisors | Coos Bay | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey McCulloch | Cascade Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Parkhurst | Halcyon Global Advisors, LLC. | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jenner Preston | Tranquilli Financial Advisor | Shawnee | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Cornish | BeauMorgan | Pittsford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremiah Eischen | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jerry Bainbridge | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jesse Sikorski | Sikorski Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jessica Rickert | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jill Gibb | Targeted Financial Services | Seminole | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jill Johnson | Corundum Group | Colorado Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Grimm | Pathway Financial Advisers | Auburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Oldham | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Johann Simpson | Aspen Capital Management | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Alexander | Kiker Wealth Management | Watkinsville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Capistran | Caplo Advisory | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Cingolani | Holy City Prosperity | Fayetteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Coleman | Live Oak Private Wealth | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Degan | Harbor Advisory | Portsmouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Lavasseur | Five Corners Financial Services | Easton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Lui | Chatham Wealth Management | Chatham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Mendrysa | Sgroi Wealth | Albany | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Pennington | Andina Advisors | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Persico | PERSICO Asset Management | Severna Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Smith | Optimist Capital | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Rigoni | North Shore Capital Group Investment Advisors | Lake Forest | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Wiley | Wiley | Greenwich | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Yarger | Yarger Wealth Strategies | Westerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jordan Curtis | Curtis Wealth Management | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jordan Pfister | Pathway Financial Advisers | Auburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jorge Aroche | Globalinvest Financial Services | Coral Gables | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Arce | The Norden Group | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Birch | Legacy Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Cacia | Collar Capital Management | Santa Clarita | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Foley | Fortiter Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Fondahn | Fondahn CPA | Walla Walla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Opsahl | Defined Wealth Management | Beaverton | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Joseph Pendenza | Greater Gifts Family Office | Fort Myers | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Senczakowicz-Gibo | Fortitude Family Office | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshalyn Baca | HS Wealth Partners | Nashville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Barnes | Legacy Advisors | Plymouth Meeting | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Petrusko | Iron Gate Wealth Advisors | Poland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Snoddy | High Road Wealth Advisors | Coos Bay | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Stroud | Reign Wealth | Eugene | Not listed | Fixed fees |
| Julia Rogan | Attessa Capital | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Justin Exposito | Price Financial Group | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Leveille | Corundum Group | Colorado Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Simmons | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kara Buss | HN Buss Investing | Thousand Oaks | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Karen Natkin | Moonstone Asset Management | Northbrook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.