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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gregory Barishian | Aurelius Family Office | Chepachet | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hannah Gohmert | Keller Wealth Advisors | Victoria | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ibtasam Mahmood | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ifeoma Idoko | Rothenburg Capital Management | Calgary | CIM | Not listed |
| Jack Stemper | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jaco Jordaan | Riverchase Wealth Management | Upper St. Clair | CFP, ChFC, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Griffin | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| James Nash | Clark Wealth Partners | O'Fallon | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jarrett Topel | Topel & DiStasi Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jeffrey Arnold | IMPACTfolio | Denver | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Belmonte | SummitView Advisors | Belmont | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Clark | Redwood Money | San Jose | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Hilliard | CRA Financial | Haddonfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Vistica | Vistica Wealth Advisors | Carlsbad | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jessica Lanning | Lanning Financial | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| John Carr | Carr Consulting P.A. | San Antonio | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Kenny | Illumination Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Onesti | John Moore Associates | Albuquerque | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jon Henderson | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Duong | Wealth Engineers | Denver | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jonathan Horst | The Horst Group | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jordan Talbert | Creative Wealth Management | Punta Gorda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joseph Brady | Rock Financial Planning | Arvada | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Limond | Clerestory Advisors, Inc. | Bloomington | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joseph McCaffrey | CRA Financial | Haddonfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua St. Laurent | Wealth In Yourself | Zephyr Cove | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Julie Kern | Bridge Financial Strategies | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Julie McDaniel | IMPACTfolio | Denver | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kassi Fetters | Artica Financial Services | Anchorage | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kent Wilson | Wilson Financial Advisors, Inc. | Salt Lake City | BS, CFP, CPA | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Kimberly Nickel | Illumination Wealth Management | La Grange | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kristin McKenna | Darrow Wealth Management | Needham | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Kyle Kuyat | Defining Wealth | Franklin | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Kyle Noack | Keller Wealth Advisors | Victoria | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lanita Wheetley | Aurelius Family Office | Jonesboro | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lantz Bowman | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Layton Ginder | CX Institutional (Credent Wealth) | Louisville | CFP, CIMA, AWMA, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Lazetta Braxton | The Real Wealth Coterie | New Haven | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Luisa Pamela Mendoza | Ducere Wealth Management | Las Vegas | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Marisa Bradbury | Sigma Investment Counselors | Lake Mary | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Buchanan | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Lasseigne | Financial Cornerstones | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Argyle | Encore Retirement Planning | South Jordan | CFP, CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Barrovecchio | Christian Financial Advisors® | Odessa | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew McCreary | Darrow Wealth Management | Needham | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Reynolds | CRA Financial | Northfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Clark | Clark Wealth Partners | O'Fallon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Hake | Boulder Wealth Advisors | Boulder | CFP | 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.