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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Culver | Councilor | Bethesda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dyer McCabe | Kilter Group | Rhinebeck | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Edwin Janeczek | Altus Wealth Group | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Elaine Morgillo | Flying Point Financial | Portsmouth | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Catlin | Bluestone Wealth Management | Keene | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Emily Harper | Monument Wealth Management | Alexandria | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Emily Lopez | Mills Wealth Advisors | Southlake | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Turner | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Walls | Ascension Capital Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erandathi Shaw | Tanglewood Legacy Advisors | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Demico | Gibson Capital | Wexford | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Eric Dunavant | Paradiem | Covington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Nelson | Independence Wealth | Voorhees | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Schrum | Schrum Private Wealth Management | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Strong | Miller Avenue Advisors | Mill Valley | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erich Imphong | Plotkin Financial Advisors | Marriottsville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erickson Braund | Black Walnut Wealth Management | Traverse City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erik Baskin | Baskin Financial Planning | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erik Helmstetter | Oder Investment Management | Los Angeles | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Erika Mielke | Arbor Investment Advisors | Winston Salem | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Erin Goss | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Erin Martin | MRP Advisors | Milton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eva Howland | White Lighthouse Investment Management | Bedford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Evan Davies | Praetorian Guard Wealth Management | Carmel | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Evan Kraft | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Evan Schmidt | Schmidt Financial Management | Kirkland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Fritzner Jean | Geometric Advisors | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gabriel Twining | Financial Plan | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Gary Wood | BDC Capital Management | Glen Allen | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gene Gurley | Gibraltar Capital Management | Irving | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Genevieve George | Pelican Financial Planning & Wealth | Jupiter | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Georgia Hussey | Modernist Financial | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gerrond McKee | Lifeway Financial | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Graham Shepherd | Armor Investment Advisors | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Fowler | Integrated Capital Planning | Bend | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Gregory Rice | Enduring Wealth Management | Meridian | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Griffin Sivret | Manchester Capital Management | Manchester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Guadalupe Lechuga | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Heather McClain | Deters Wealth Management | Gilbert | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Heidi Yoshida | Oak Advisors | Bluffton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hillary Knotts | Blue Ocean Capital | West Palm Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | Kaizen Financial Strategies | Pleasanton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ilirjan Shkurti | Whistle Stop Financial Advice | Birmingham | CFA | Hourly |
| Isaac Hutchins | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Isao Shoji | asendo wealth | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| J.R. Robinson We do comprehensive financial planning for individuals and families in the mid-market affluent space. | Financial Planning Hawaii | Honolulu | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Jackson Boyer | Kooman & Associates | Altoona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacob Blukis | McIlrath | Eck | Arlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Eason | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Martin | Keeler & Nadler | Dublin | 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.