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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilian DiLeonardo Tax-efficient Wealth Management for high-income ($500k+) executives | Liberty One Wealth Advisors | Philadelphia | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Hannah Boundy | Sherwood Financial Partners | Broomfield | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hannah Steendam | Ellevest | Lakewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Hayden Hill | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Heather Jendrusch | Paragon Advisors | College Station | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Turner We help athletes and entrepreneurs build and protect wealth. | Moment Private Wealth | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jacqueline Cannella | Roble Belko & Company | Sewickley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Sargent | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Holt | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jarett Busacca | Venture Wealth Solutions | Winter Park | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Jason Johnson | Pine Grove Financial Group | Minnetonka | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jason McGarraugh | BentOak Capital | Katy | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Clark | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Lindsay | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeremy Finger | Riverbend Wealth Management | Myrtle Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jesse Kuusisto | Laurel Wealth Planning | Edina | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jessica Humble | Eagle Bluffs Wealth Management | Columbia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joe Ciliberti Helping Families & Business Owners Plan Retirement and Major Liquidity Events | Thayer Partners, LLC | Wyndmoor | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joel Baumgarten | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joel Hanson | Ankerstar Wealth | Leander | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| John Konetzny | The Practical Planner | Groton | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| John Murphy | Davis Capital Management | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Booze | ONE Advisory Partners | Overland Park | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Johnson | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Landry | 44 North Capital | Burlington | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jordan Haines | Drucker Wealth | Kuna | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Schmitz, Jr. | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshi Koneru | Watershed Private Wealth | Oak Brook | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joshua Anderson | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Julianna Bray | GW Financial | Reno | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Justin Follmer | Coastal Wealth Advisors | Nashville | CFP | One-time planning fee |
| Justin Stevens | O'Keefe Stevens Advisory | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Kaden Waters | Peterson Wealth Advisors | Orem | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Kahlilah Dowe | TrueWealth Solutions | Radnor | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Kaitlin Horsch | Ellevest | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Kathleen Liiste | Lions Gate Sovereign Capital | White Bear Lake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Keith Amburgey | Rutherford Asset Planning | Tampa | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Keith Trent | BentOak Capital | Lubbock | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kelly Brown | Brown PCFO | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kenneth Butler | Butler Financial Services | Westlake Village | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, One-time planning fee |
| Kevin Manning | Stone Pine Financial Partners | Media | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Cross | Mattern Wealth Management | Lawrence | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyle Packard | Packard Wealth Strategies | Alexandria | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Laura Werner | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Laurean Nardone | Shira Ridge Wealth Management | Larkspur | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Lauren Hunt | Daybreak Wealth | Hinsdale | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Lauren Naze | Pine Grove Financial Group | Woodbury | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Luke Melms We specialize in helping high-net-worth families build a customized Firm Foundation Wealth Strategy™ | Firm Foundation Family Wealth | Ft. Lauderdale | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Madison Wallace | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mallory Davis | MA Private Wealth | San Carlos | 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.