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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Studdard | Studdard Financial | Germantown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caden Mumford | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caitlin Sharp | Gentry Private Wealth | Wichita | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caitlyn Driehorst | RightWise Wealth | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Caitlyn Tierney | Westover Capital Advisors | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Caleb Griffith | Townsend Asset Management | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Camy Toth | Springbrook Financial | Bozeman | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Casey Kha | FCA | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cassandra Kirby | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cassidy Steck | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Catherine Salsman | Paragon Management | Lexington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Celina Ochoa | Haynie Wealth Management | Salt Lake City | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Charles Allison | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Charles Blozinski | Integrity Wealth Management | Brookings | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Charles Capasso | Capasso Planning Partners | Charleston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chase Hayhurst | Weatherly Asset Management | Del Mar | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Chelsea Makowski | Senior Financial and Tax | Orchard Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Chelsei Latsch | Antonelli Financial Advisors | Grosse Pointe | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Chengkuo Chen | Redwood Money | San Jose | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Cherish Sutull | Blue Water Wealth | Seattle | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cheryl Deknatel | Noesis Capital Management | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cheryl Starr | Affinity Wealth Management | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christian West | Rigden Capital Strategies | Englewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christina Gamache | RADIANT Wealth Planning | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christina Hammann | Carter Financial | La Jolla | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christina Larkin | Seneca Financial Advisors | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Benoit | CB Capital | Cumberland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Cook | McCarley & Cook | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher D'Arcy | D'Arcy Capital Management | San Diego | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Hughes | Financial Cornerstones | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Kuehne | Greenwich Advisors | Rio Verde | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Lim | Alongside Wealth | Nolensville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Oberholzer | Infinity Wealth Counsel | Loveland | CFP | One-time planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Pawlowski | SpringSource Wealth Advisors | Hillsboro | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Plahm | Stonebridge Wealth Management | Oak Brook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Staples | Wealth 360 | Buford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Stevenson | Telos Partners | Avon | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Thomas | Align WMGMT | San Jose | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Zafiriou | Flax Pond Capital | Merion Station | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christy Kong-Eaton | Red Lady Capital | Crested Butte | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Cindy Kleiner | Guiding Financial | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Claire Craighill | WealthCrossing | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Claire Kluth | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clifford Straub | Lifestyle Financial Strategies | Middletown | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Clinton Cannon | Cannon Capital Management | Salt Lake City | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Clinton Walkner | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Coco Lorenzo | Monograph Wealth | Manhattan Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cody Columna | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cole Leonida | John Moore Associates | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cole Matsuura | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
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.