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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven McDonough | StackStone Wealth | Dubuque | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Post | Pathway Financial Advisers | Auburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stuart Park | Park Miller | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Suzanne Fitzgerald | Solutions4Wealth | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sylvia Gilmore | Aletheian Wealth Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tabitha Garreffa | ABG Consultants | Arlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Temitayo Ilori | Hyvorian Financial | Garland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Theodore Kaplan | MJP Wealth Advisors | Farmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Francescon | Stone Bridge Asset Management | Chattanooga | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Greb | Olivar & Greb Capital Management | Maitland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Isgrig | Isgrig Capital Asset Management | Cincinnati | Not listed | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Thomas Smith | ABG Consultants | Westfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Woodward | Woodward Diversified Capital | Bakersfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Brinkman | Integrity Investing | Daleville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Fahey | Nicollet Investment Management | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Fitzgerald | MJP Wealth Advisors | Farmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Recker | Union Strategic Advisors | Blue Ash | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Rhee | Rainier Family Wealth | Tacoma | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Scholten | Yarger Wealth Strategies | Westerville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Slattery | Heritage Investment Group | Pompano Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Todd Knickerbocker | Stonebrook Private | Northville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tom Sleeter | Ruggaard & Associates | Hudson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Tony Gordon | Covato Capital Management | Naples | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trent O'Neal | Wayfinding Financial | Lynnwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trevor Hotmer | Aspen Capital Management | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Trevor Moore | Fortitude Family Office | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Wacaster | Solutions4Wealth | Southlake | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tyson Wakley | The Norden Group | St George | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Wayne Casey | Casey Wealth Management | Orland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Wayne Fernow | American Family Legacy Group | Tampa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Weld Butler | Harbor Advisory | Portsmouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Collier | Live Oak Private Wealth | Rocky Mount | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Gregory | Beck Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Xavier Urpi | Emergent Financial Services | Charlottesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Yen Trac | Northern California Fiduciary Advisors | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zachariah Kline | Capstone Wealth Management | San Jose | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Zachary Holtmeier | Union Strategic Advisors | Blue Ash | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Zachary Moore | Pace Financial Advisors | Hillsboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Weinberg | Edge Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brent Wieck | Adams Brown Wealth Consultants | Wichita | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brett Rosen | Edge Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Liedstrand | Selective Wealth Management | Forest | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Brian Staats | Adams Brown Wealth Consultants | Great Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Carlos Lopez | Two Pillars Asset Management | Frisco | Not listed | Hourly, Percentage of assets |
| Chad Somers | Adams Brown Wealth Consultants | Great Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chase Matriotti | Chaney Capital Management | Lynnwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christaphor Thomasian | Key Client Fiduciary Advisors | Fairfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christian Garces | Key Client Fiduciary Advisors | Fairfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Hersh | Tumwater Wealth Management | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Korleski | Cobalt Private Wealth | Colorado Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.