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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janet Wills | Wills Financial Group | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Janine Guenther | Promus Advisors | Dallas | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Crawford | Rigden Capital Strategies | Myrtle Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jarman Reilly | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jarod Bloom | Sechrest & Bloom | Acton | CFP | Fixed fees |
| Jason Cohen | Moment Partners | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Foster | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Marsh | Cognition Financial | Dublin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jason Qiu | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jason Sandfort | Angell Capital Management | St. Charles | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Stuber | Saling Wealth Advisors | Louisville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jay Arce | Taylor Financial Group | Roanoke | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jay Freeberg | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jay Shein | Compass Financial Group | Deerfield Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeb Flynn | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeff Newburn | Plan2Thrive Financial Services | Eldridge | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeff Pomerantz | Analog Capital Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Feldman | Rochester Financial Services | Pittsford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Lenhart | Graves Light Lenhart Private Wealth Management | Harrisonburg | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Loos | Marsh Wealth Management | Knoxville | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey Matchett Robles | Gordian Advisors | Tucson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Sturgis | Brightstone Advisors | Fishers | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Vincent | Vincent Wealth Advisors | Norwell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jenna Israni | TFC Financial | Boston | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Colon | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jennifer Oravsky | Absher Wealth Management | Chapel Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Pcholinsky | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeremiah Whiddon | OnTrack Wealth Management | Canton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeremy Johnson | Veracity Wealth Management | Oakbrook Terrace | CFP | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Jerod Brockelman | Eubank, Hutson & Associates | Plano | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jesse Coffee | Integrity Wealth Management | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jesse Schrock | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jessica Morris | CMA Financial Services | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jessica Ness | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jessica Welch | Choate Wealth | Boston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jesus Marquez | EZ Financial Group | Pearland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jeyamariappan Ganapathy | Samatva Wealth Management | Clarksburg | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Bonnema | Bonnema Wealth Management | Scottsdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Cavaliere | Blue Heron Capital | Englewood | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Blair | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Blalock | Blalock Williams | Alexander City | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Burkhardt | Goepper Burkhardt | Greenville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Glasman | Gilpin Wealth Management | Golden | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Griffin | Mainsail Financial Group | Bellevue | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| John Harrington | Ducere Wealth Management | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Herbert | Bowline Financial | Grosse Pointe Woods | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Hughes | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Jackson | Stewards Advisory Services | Yonkers | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John King | WealthCrossing | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Levangie | Darrow Wealth Management | Needham | 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.