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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Myrick | Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors | Clarksdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Roccato | Quaker Wealth Management | Moorestown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Yvars | The David J. Yvars Group | Valhalla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Donald Bond | Edge Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Duane Moppin | Adams Brown Wealth Consultants | Overland Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Birdsall | Milestone Consultants | Whitney Point | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Fishman | Key Client Fiduciary Advisors | Fairfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Evan Coppola | Miller Gesko Wealth Management | Buffalo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Bickhart | Awaken Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Gregory Dunne | Raleigh Investment Advisors | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Zitko | The Private Family Advisors | St. Louis | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Hailee Brigman | Knightsbridge Wealth Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Hannah Hein | Chaney Capital Management | Lynnwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Henry Urban | Miller Gesko Wealth Management | Buffalo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Holmes Pettey | Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors | Clarksdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob O'Connell | Chaney Capital Management | Lynnwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Moise | Little House Capital | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Viola | Aries Wealth Management | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Yeager | JD Yeager & | Parker | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey A Smith | Adams Brown Wealth Consultants | Wichita | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jenny Rivard | American Wealth Protection | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremy Hudson | Miller Gesko Wealth Management | Buffalo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Orris | Key Client Fiduciary Advisors | Fairfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Marx | Edge Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Friend | Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Lee | The David J. Yvars Group | Valhalla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Meier | Knightsbridge Wealth Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Joshua Standeven | Selective Wealth Management | Forest | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Julie Flowers | Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors | Clarksdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kate Kenney | RDG Capital Management | Pittsford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kelli Denney | Armour Wealth Advisors | Tumwater | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kevin Massey | Chaney Capital Management | Lynnwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kevin Starkey | FTN Capital Management | Littleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kristen Hanley | CMH Wealth Management | Portsmouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kristen Worth | Flywheel Private Wealth | Los Altos | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Kurt Beimfohr | Knightsbridge Wealth Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Larry Foster | Wisdom Planning Group | Lakeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Luke Pata | Little House Capital | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lynda Bartsch | Chaney Capital Management | Lynnwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lynn Kelly | Little House Capital | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Cross-Powers | Little House Capital | Bedford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mary Jo Collabolletta | The David J. Yvars Group | Valhalla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Miller | Awaken Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Weinberg | Edge Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Conlon | American Wealth Protection | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Dwyer | Strategic Family Wealth Counselors | Fairfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nahnsan Guseh | Capital Solutions Advisors | Durham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Neil Kay | Old Vine Capital | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Owen Quast | Tumwater Wealth Management | Boise | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Pranav Shingala | Prudent Prosperity | Little Elm | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.