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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Harding | Harding Wealth | Tempe | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Adam Stoeckler | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Alan Bunn | BentOak Capital | Lubbock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Alan Nicolette | Nicolette Financial | Charlottesville | CFP | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Alexander Call | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Alexandra Forest | 44 North Capital | Palm Beach Gardens | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Alicia Ivancovich | Financially Healthy | Oakland | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Andrew Herron | Stone Pine Financial Partners | Media | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew W Bradley | AndrewWBradley.ca Financial Services | Ottawa | RRC | Not listed |
| Anita Gray | Promenade Wealth | North Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anthony Carrino | Roble Belko & Company | Newtown | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anton Bayer | Up Capital Management | Bulverde | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ashley Bleckner | Ellevest | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Becky Vasquez | Three Arch Wealth Management | Irvine | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Beth Lundberg | Hawthorne Wellman Financial Planning | Tyngsboro | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Beverly Whitman | Highland Investment Advisors | Ponte Vedra | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Billygram Simonet | Simonet Financial Group | Kyle | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Brandon Garrett | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brian Rellihan | Wise Wealth Partners | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Caleb Russell | Paragon Advisors | College Station | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Carson Johnson | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Carson Kunkle | Harding Wealth | Tempe | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Carter Michaelson | illumiFI Wealth | Blaine | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christian Moon | Snake River Investment Counsel | Idaho Falls | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Browning | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Jones | Azalea Wealth Management | Glen Ellyn | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Cadena | Cadena Financial Planning & Tax Services | San Diego | CFP | Hourly, One-time planning fee |
| Daniel Johnson | Riverbend Wealth Management | Myrtle Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Miller | ONE Advisory Partners | Overland Park | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Ruske | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Seder | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| David Foret | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Garrett | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Hailey | Paragon Advisors | College Station | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Hobbs | Hobbs Wealth Management | Zionsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| David Webb | Curry Webb Wealth Management | Indianapolis | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Young | Harding Wealth | Tempe | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dean Allen | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Deborah VanDam | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Derek Munchow | Augustus Wealth | Long Beach | CFP, ChFC | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Dru Burns | Drucker Wealth | Mahwah | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Dustin Javier | Defined Capital | Oak Brook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Edward Kerns | Footlamp Financial | Atlanta | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Eric Gabor | Eagle Grove Advisors | Westfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Felix Kopycinski | Laurel Wealth Planning | Edina | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Frank Garcia | Frankly Finances | Winter Park | CFP, CFA | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Genti Cici | Wealthy & Wise Family Office | Columbia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| George Harris | Bentham Wealth Advisors | Williamsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Gideon Drucker | Drucker Wealth | Mahwah | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Grace Stolberg | O'Keefe Stevens Advisory | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
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.