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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Mullenax | Sigma Investment Counselors | Northville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mitchell DeWitt | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Mitchell Thompson | MJT & Associates Financial Advisory Group | Montevideo | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Nancy Metzger | MAPT Capital | Madison | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Nathaniel Sarkar | Redwood Money | Sunnyvale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Nicholas Chiricosta | Utopia Wealth Management | Coconut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Maratta | Occidental Asset Management | Winter Springs | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Nicholas O'Kelly | Cadence Wealth Partners | Concord | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Norman Mangina | Illumination Wealth Management | Palm Springs | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Olivia Knapp | Colleen Weber CPA | Chanhassen | CFP | Fixed fees |
| Paul Michel | Provident Financial Planning | Addison | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Philip Tompkins | CRA Financial | Northfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Preston Cherry | Concurrent Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Rajiv Dixit | Serenity Capital Advisors | Pittsford | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Rebecca Kennedy | IMPACTfolio | Denver | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Reem Hussein | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Rene Pochop | Pochop Financial Management | South Burlington | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Armstrong | Faith Investor Services | Wildwood | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Farmer | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Richard Whitton | RWW Financial Consulting | Portland | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Maloney | Squam Lakes Financial Advisors, LLC | Holderness | AEP, MSFS | Ongoing planning fee, Hourly |
| Robert Martin | CRA Financial | Haddonfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robin Brigham | Hager Investment Management Services | New London | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Fisher | DentVest Wealth Management | Fort Wayne | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Salvatore Paternico | W&S Management Services | Rochester | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samer Eshmawy | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Sara Gawick | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sean Kelleher | Riverchase Wealth Management | Flower Mound | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sean Williams | Cadence Wealth Partners | Concord | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Stephen Lupkas | myFinancialPro | Shelton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Poplaski | Washington Trust Wealth Management | Westerly | CFP, CPA, PhD | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Boorstein | RockCrest Financial | Turnersville | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Steven Pitchford | Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Sunit Bhalla | OakTree Financial Planning, LLC | Fort Collins | CFP, MSFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tammy Pompei | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tammy Trenta | Family Financial | Manhattan Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Theodore Dwyer | Dwyer Financial | Flagstaff | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Keller | Keller Wealth Advisors | Victoria | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Kluttz | Analog Capital Partners | Houston | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Little | Yeti Wealth Management Group | Highlands Ranch | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Thomas Van Spankeren | RISE Investments | Chicago | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Tristan Jacobi | Creative Wealth Management | Punta Gorda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ulrich Keller | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Victor Gersten | Cross Border Wealth Advisors | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Vincent DeCrow | RISE Investments | Chicago | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Wenma Gorman | Sigma Investment Counselors | Northville | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Zachary Benton | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Zane Keller | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Aaron Freeman | Snake River Investment Counsel | Idaho Falls | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Abigail Schmid | Stone Pine Financial Partners | Media | CFP | 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.