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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Gyeszat | Reality Financial Planning Services | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Thurwanger | Eagle Bluffs Wealth Management | Columbia | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Trotter | Solidarity Wealth | Lehi | CFP | Percentage of assets, Subscription |
| Nicole Hughes | Woodmont Investment Counsel | Nashville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicole Wirick | Prosperity Wealth Strategies | Bloomfield Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nirvanna Silva Novelo | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noa Hoffman | Green Ocean Global | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Pamela Rigsby | Pursuit Wealth Strategies | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patricia Welsh | Fox Hill Wealth Management | Dedham | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Patrick Cicchetti I help 7-figure service-based business owners simplify their finances, minimize taxes, and buy back time—so they can focus on life beyond the business. | Ryse Capital Management | Rochester | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Patrick Mason | Cairn Wealth Management | Vancouver | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick O'Hearn | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Dedora | DeDora Capital | Napa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Penny Wasem | Lifetime Financial Planning Solutions | Lancaster | CFP, PFS | Hourly |
| Peter Egolf | Kilter Group | Rhinebeck | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Fiorita | Main Street Research | Lakeville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Franz | Journey Wealth | Cleveland | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peyton Wade | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Phil Telpner We end post-divorce financial anxiety. | Breakout Private Wealth | Glenview | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Philip Bailey | Muirfield Wealth Advisors | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Philip Kirshman | Manchester Capital Management | Montecito | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Pierre Bigby | Bigby Financial Planning, LLC. | Lewis Center | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Portia White | Whelan Financial | Fresno | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Rakesh Budhram | Prolific Solutions | Ozone Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Rand Borresen | Ascend Financial Advisers | Irvine | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Reema Patel | Councilor | Bethesda | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Reese Harper | Dentist Advisors | Salt Lake City | CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Richard Davey | Fiduciary Financial Group | San Rafael | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Fein | Fein Advisor | Cincinnati | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Richard Hewitt | Praetorian Guard Wealth Management | Carmel | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Wagner | Ironwood Wealth Management | Chandler | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Rick Prime | HFG Trust | Kennewick | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Agorastos | Insight Wealth Strategies | San Ramon | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Garcia | Corvus Wealth Advisors | Templeton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Hofman | Hofman Wealth Management | Chesterfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Kokol | Atticus Wealth Management | New Braunfels | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Maher | Virgil Wealth Advisory | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Robert Pearson | HFG Trust | Kennewick | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Weinstein | Round Rock Advisors | Harrison | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Roberta Tondo | White Lighthouse Investment Management | Bedford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roberto Ortega | RidgeOak Wealth | Spring | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Roger Johnson | ACT Advisors | Asheville | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Ross Cohn | Sage Financial Group | West Conshohocken | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ross Fedenia | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ross King | Waterway Wealth Management | The Woodlands | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Russell Wood | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Brizendine | Westshore Wealth | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Canfield Helping Millennials simplify their life so they can continue to experience life today, while also saving for the future. | Victus Wealth Management | Enola | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Ryan Deters | Grand Wealth Management | Grand Rapids | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan Gibbs | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | 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.