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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Samuels | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Schlicht | Kickstand Wealth Advisors | Pittsford | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jacque Lefore | Womack Wealth and Business Management | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jake Elm | Dentist Advisors | Salt Lake City | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jamel Gordon | Rose Capital Advisors | Miami Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Chaney | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Copper | Skinner Copper & Ehmen | Monroe | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Diacon | Council Oak Wealth Advisors | Tulsa | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Hofman | Hofman Wealth Management | Chesterfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| James Johnson | Blue Ocean Capital | West Palm Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Joseph | Sentinel Wealth Management | Reston | CFP, ChFC, PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Kaffenbarger | BCK Partners | Corning | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| James Pechin | McLaughlin Asset Management | Lafayette | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Runey | Runey & Associates Wealth Management | Mount Pleasant | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| James Scanlan | Stage Harbor Financial | Westwood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Twining | Financial Plan | Bellingham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| James Warner | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jamie Upson | Stonehearth Capital Management | Danvers | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jane Rowny | Councilor | Bethesda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Jones | Omega Wealth Management | Arlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared McBride | GoalFusion Wealth Management | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Bonn | Woodmont Investment Counsel | Nashville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Jager | Inman Jager Wealth Management | Hattiesburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Mardinly | Sage Financial Group | West Conshohocken | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jefferson Rotherham | Sierra Wealth Strategies | Coronado | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Broadhurst | Broadhurst Financial Advisors | Austin | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Hanson | Breakwater Capital Group | Paramus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Hoang | Paulson Wealth Management | West Palm Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Pih | Pih Investments | South Pasadena | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Starkey | Kooman & Associates | Altoona | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Thompson | Heritage Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Williams | Grand Wealth Management | Grand Rapids | CFP, PFS | Ongoing planning fee |
| Jeffrey Wiyninger | Pathway Advisor | Fallbrook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Dougherty | BroadWealth LLC. | Winchester | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Kramer | Jayco Wealth Management | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Odom | Chastain Wealth Management | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Weber | Weber Asset Management | Lake Success | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jerod Fenton | RED Seven Wealth Management | Escondido | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jessica Demler | Oxler Private Wealth | Rye Brook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Gibbs | Monument Wealth Management | Arlington | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jessica Hultberg | Keeler & Nadler | Dublin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica McCain | Waterway Wealth Management | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Perkins | Heritage Financial Counselors | Bedminster | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jessie Hale | Vita Wealth Advisors | Manhattan Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Cunningham | Reality Financial Planning Services | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Desimone | Peddock Capital Advisors | Braintree | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Gullo | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Loveday | asendo wealth | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John McNertney | Green Ocean Global | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Napolitano | Napier Financial | Braintree | CFP, PFS | 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.