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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Farkas | Harold Davidson & Associates | Los Angeles | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Craig Morgan | Colmina | Colorado Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dajin Yang | New Insight Wealth Advisors | San Ramon | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dallas Trahern | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dalya Inhaber | Minerva Wealth Advisory | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dana Levit | Paragon Financial Advisors | Newton | CFP | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Adams | Analog Capital Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Carroll | Alliance Private Wealth | Bee Cave | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel DeSouza | Not listed | Honolulu | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Divizio | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Dollinger | Daniel Dollinger CPA, CFP® | Wilsonville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Doyle | Oak Park Wealth Management | Lakewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Henning | HC Advisors | Sandy Springs | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Lubs | Integrated Investment Strategies | Carmel | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Sciortino | Fig Tree Wealth Management | Mountainside | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Smith | Piedmont Trust | Greenboro | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daniel Snowden | ENZI Wealth | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Vistica | Vistica Wealth Advisors | Carlsbad | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Darren Leader | Acacia Grove Wealth | Schenectady | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Bass | Decision Tree Advisor | Houston | ChFC | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| David Bennett | Unify Financial Advisors | Clearwater | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Clark | Wick Capital Partners | Wayne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Foster | Foster & Wood | Lake Oswego | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Frazier | Kapstone Financial Advisors | Lebanon | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Goodson | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Greene | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Hamra | Gordian Advisors | Tucson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Kronour | Kapstone Financial Advisors | Lebanon | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Luck | Advisor Financial Services | Glen Allen | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Markle | Markle Wealth Management | Danielsville | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| David Martinez | ENZI Wealth | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Muehl | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Patterson | Patterson Advisors | Waterford | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| David Schubert | Carrington Group | Dallas | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Denis Smirnov | Gordian Advisors | Tucson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dennis Jackson | Allred Jackson | North Logan | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Dennis Peatrowsky | Virtue Wealth Counsel | Omaha | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derek Lewis | Catawba River Capital | Lake Wylie | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Derek Schmidt | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Devereaux Williams | Blalock Williams | Alexander City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Devin Rainone | MOR Wealth Management | Philadelphia | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Devyn Deleon | DeLeon Wealth | Kennewick | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Diana Harrison | Financial Investment Team | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diana Kahn | The Financial Pharmacist | Aventura | CFP | Flat fee or retainer |
| Diane Bourdo | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Diego Luna Y Parra Diaz | Berlin Wealth Group Advisors | Tomball | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Dinghao Jiang | Downtown Wealth Studios | Wellesley | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Don Eidam | Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Donald VandeVanter | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Donna Savastani | CRA Financial | Northfield | 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.