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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Bartol | Nexus One Financial Advisors | Plano | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Douglas Bostich | Braun-Bostich & Associates | Canonsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Douglas Morisoli | Fairman Financial | Berwyn | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dustin Irish | Irish Capital | Olathe | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Edmond Griffin | Apex Investment Group | Hudson | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Edward Hadad | Financial Asset Management | Chappaqua | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edwin Knowles | The Knowles Company | Oakton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ehab Alalfey | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Elaine Chan | FIOH Global Asset Management and Strategies | Tacoma | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elaine King Fuentes | Family and Money Matters | Coral Gables | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Eldon Fielding-Monson | Monson Wealth Management | Kennewick | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elijah Lyons | Lookahead Wealth | West Linn | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Elizabeth Raabe | Seneca Financial Advisors | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Schneider | WHealthy Empowerment Network | Kildeer | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ellen Johnson | Thistle Wealth | Corvallis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Emily Dyer-Wolfe | Rigden Capital Strategies | Englewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Maretsky | Educated Financial Planning | Astoria | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Eric Foster | PYA Waltman Capital | Knoxville | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Gardner | All Star Financial | Minneapolis | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Hallman | Westview Investment Advisors | Burlington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Larson | Sigma Investment Counselors | Northville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Eric OBrien | Nadler Financial Group | Deerfield | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Eric Story | Cooper Norman Wealth | Idaho Falls | PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Erica Lyall | Strategic Advisory Partners | Greensboro | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erica Nortman | Capitol Family Office | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erika Safran | Safran Wealth Advisors | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erin Menking | FCA | Fort Worth | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Erin Preston | Patterson Advisors | Waterford | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Erin Zylka | WHealthy Empowerment Network | Kildeer | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ernest Moosherr | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Eugene Skorodinsky | Minerva Wealth Advisory | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eustache Clerveaux | Fidare Wealth Solutions | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Evan Darr | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Federico Londono Castillo | Occidental Asset Management | Altamonte Springs | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Frances Spurry | Tred Avon Family Wealth | Easton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Frederick Moosherr | Canopy Wealth Management | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Gabrielle Fitzwater | Dwyer Financial | Flagstaff | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Garry Kachkovsky | Kachkovsky & Fisher | Phoenix | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Garth Williams | Honu Wealth | Sunnyvale | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Gary Hess | Baldwin Management | West Conshohocken | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Gary Roof | Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Gavin Distasi | Topel & DiStasi Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Genecar Vivo | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Geoffrey Biehn | Trinity Financial Advisors | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| George Don | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| George Hasbun | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| George Marron | High Probability Advisors | Pittsford | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| George Townsend | Consilium Wealth Advisory | Frisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Geovanni James | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Glenn Sweeney | Sweeney Financial Advisors | Manchester | CFA | 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.