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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Dannenbring | AlphaOmega Wealth Management | Lincoln | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Dewitt | Lakeshore Advisors | Fort Lauderdale | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Dixon | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Fennig | KFA Private Wealth Group | Tyson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Ferguson | Patrick M Sweeney & Associates | Barrington | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Fleming | Vandalia Wealth | Greenville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Fredrick | RockCrest Financial | Somers Point | ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| John Heldman | Triad Investment Management | Laguna Niguel | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Jones | Precision Wealth Strategies | Georgetown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Lauer | Lauer Wealth Management | Valparaiso | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John McCorvie | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Phillips | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Rowley | Faith Investor Services | Scottsdale | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Russell | Peak Asset Management | Needham | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Sena | Mike Sena Advisors | Roswell | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| John Wright | MarsJewett Financial Group | Bellevue | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Jon Bernier | TandemGrowth Financial Advisors | Alpharetta | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Bird | Farnam Financial | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Brooks | BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions | Birmingham | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Dane | Defiant Capital Group | Warrendale | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Dorsey | Vandalia Wealth | Beckley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Dursteler | Soulence Wealth Management | North Logan | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Elks | Boerum Hill Financial Advisors | Brooklyn | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jonathan Klett | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Salvato | Diamond Client Group | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Wallace | Wayfinder Wealth Warriors | Lexington | CFA | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Jonathon Jordan | Stone Pillars Wealth Management | Franklin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jordi Bakovic-Quiroga | TQM Wealth Partners | St. Augustine | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Beckford | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Hart | Hart Wealth Management | West Des Moines | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Maddux | Cooper Norman Wealth | Idaho Falls | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Purcell | Wissahickon Wealth Management | Philadelphia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Rodriguez | Matriarch Wealth Management | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Turley | Breakwater Investment Management | Seattle | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Joseph Weiland | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Coniglio | Pacific Capital | Corona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshua Gideon | Richard P. Slaughter Associates | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Nelson | Keystone Financial Services | Loveland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshua Prince | Promus Advisors | Dallas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Simpson | Illumination Wealth Management | San Diego | ChFC | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Juan David Ramon Soto | Alliance Private Wealth | North Reading | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Juliana Moravy | Elmwood Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Julie Hupp | Vertex Planning Partners | Downers Grove | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Julie Pribble | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Justin Ericksen | Blue Barn Wealth | Orem | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Justin Hobbs | Rivertree Wealth | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Justin Pitcock | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kaitlin Theobald | Sherrill & Hutchins | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kamila Elliott | Collective Wealth Partners | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katarzyna Marczyk | Anchor Wealth Management Group | West Palm Beach | 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.