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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melody Laser | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Booker | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Brundage | Clear Ridge Wealth Management | Kalamazoo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Kothakota | WolfBridge Wealth | Durham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Mazzei | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Meehan | TFC Financial | Boston | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Minter | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Pumphrey | Tanglewood Total Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Rettinger | KFA Private Wealth Group | Tyson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Yang | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michelle Wells | Darrow Wealth Management | Needham | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Miguel Rios Amurrio | TQM Wealth Partners | Marblehead | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Miller Hoffman | TradeWinds | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Morgan Fippinger | Pacific Capital | Corona | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nathan Lowe | JVL Wealth Strategies | Wyoming | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan McDuffee | Oliver Wealth Management | Towson | CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Nathan Mirizzi | Blue Barn Wealth | Orem | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nathan Snow | Accruent Wealth Advisors | Winston-Salem | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Bzovi | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Stecklein | Telos Partners | Lehi | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Sullivan | KFA Private Wealth Group | Cranford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Noah Polk | Saling Wealth Advisors | Louisville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Pamela Bergeson | Tailwind Financial Planning | Madeira Beach | CFP | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Patrick Graver | Center Stage Planning | Greeley | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Patrick Grooms | Westwind Capital | Las Cruces | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick McNamara | Glassman Wealth | Rockville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Sweeney | Patrick M Sweeney & Associates | Libertyville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Swift | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Carroll | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Esposito | Prestige Wealth Management Group | Flemington | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Bobolia | Destiny Capital | Denver | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Peter D'Agati | Stembrook Asset Management | Jersey City | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Eberhart | Henry H. Armstrong Associates | Pittsburgh | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Faust | Tanglewood Total Wealth Management | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Levine | Velara Wealth Management | New York | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peyton Klawinski | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Philip Matalucci | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachel Buckhoff | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Randall Francis | Pacific Capital | Corona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Randolph Hardy | Factor Wealth Management | Chicago | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Randy Kurtz | Upper Left Wealth Management | Tampa | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Raymond Brown | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Renee Kwok | TFC Financial | Boston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Jackson | Jackson & Associates | Albuquerque | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Richard LoPresti | Milestone Asset Management Group | Avon | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Rielle Sanidad | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Bilkie | Sigma Investment Counselors | Northville | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Cope | Cope Private Wealth | Birmingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Enright | Burton Enright Welch | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Feather | Wealth Dimensions Group | Cincinnati | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.