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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amy Qiu | Choate Wealth | Boston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrea Gorniok | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrea Taylor | Weatherly Asset Management | Del Mar | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Block | Walla Walla Wealth Advisors | Walla Walla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Branz | Clark Wealth Partners | O'Fallon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Bucksner | Wick Capital Partners | Wayne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Cattano | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Clement | Alongside Wealth | Nolensville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Hager | Hager Investment Management Services | New London | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Hempeck | Creekside Partners | Petaluma | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Hermes | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Hickey | Clear Sky Financial | Prosper | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Hicks | Occidental Asset Management | Altamonte Springs | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Kelleher | Denver Private Wealth Management | Denver | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Killpack | HC Advisors | Sandy Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Klein | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Miller | OLIO Financial Planning | Mclean | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Otto | Boden Wealth | Lemoyne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Tranel | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Tuecke | Stewards Advisory Services | Marion | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Angel Cruz | Cruz Wealth Management | Olympia | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Angela Hall | Note Advisors | Hamburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anna Hong | New Insight Wealth Advisors | San Ramon | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anna Popke | Majestic Oak Financial | Round Rock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Annalise Montgomery | Faith Investor Services | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Davis | Brass Capital | Leesburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anthony Digiovanni | White Pine Investment Co | Livonia | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Jones | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Anthony McEahern | Gilpin Wealth Management | Golden | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anthony Ozuna | Sierra Management Group | Reno | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Arv Vilutis | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Ashley Heatwole | Graves Light Lenhart Private Wealth Management | Harrisonburg | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Ashley Perlmutter | Sherman Wealth | Gaithersburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ashley Trlica | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Atta Khan | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Aubrey Brown | Weatherly Asset Management | Del Mar | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Austin Drake | Sterneck Capital Management | Kansas City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Austin Stinson | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ayman Khalil | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Babak Gahvari | Canter Wealth | La Jolla | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Barbara Nooney | Flavin, Nooney & Person | Melbourne | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Barnet Goverman | Goverman Financial Solutions | Dedham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Barry Mendel | Mendel Money Management | Northbrook | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Barry Picker | Meisels, Kunstler, Picker & Auerbach | Cedarhurst | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bashar Qasem | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Benjamin Amos | RMG Advisors | Nashville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Beck | Beck Bode | Dedham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Benjamin Dolan | Dolan Capital Advisors | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Greenman | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Benjamin Hartings | Trinity Financial Advisors | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.