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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Gossen | BCM Advisors | Lafayette | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nancy Congdon | Blue Water Wealth | Portland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nancy Cooper | Topel & DiStasi Wealth Management | Santa Fe | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Nathan Billigmeier | Towerpoint Wealth | Sacramento | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Nathan Condon | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Nathan Dunham | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Imboden | Boden Wealth | Lemoyne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Madill | JMR Financial Group | Superior | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nathan Walsh | Occidental Asset Management | Burlingame | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Nathan Ward | W&S Management Services | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Neal Stephenson | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Neil Connolly | Rigden Capital Strategies | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Neil Goodson | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nelson Greene | Highline Private Wealth | Jacksonville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Perrine | Graves Light Lenhart Private Wealth Management | Harrisonburg | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Renfro | MDT Financial Advisors | Webster | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Simonian | Concentrum Wealth Management | San Jose | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicolaas Letschert | Noesis Capital Management | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noah Camfield | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Noah McCorkle | KingsMark Private Financial Advisors | Albany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Noah Wildman | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Noel Bennett | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Olivia Kriscunas | Paratus Financial | Dallas | CFA | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Oscar Spain | Jamison Private Wealth Management | Milton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Pamela Hinton | Precedent Wealth Partners | Fredericksburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Parker Trasborg | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Patrick Fletcher | GenSphere Private Wealth | Gig Harbor | CFP | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Patrick Gorgonzola | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Hefferon | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Merrick | Riverpoint Wealth Management | Chicago | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Nouri | Noble Advisors | Dallas | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Paul Pignone | Beck Bode | Salem | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Warholak Jr | Sigma Investment Counselors | Northville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Paulina Price | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Peter Burton | Burton Enright Welch | Walnut Creek | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Byrd | Opulent Wealth | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Hager | Hager Investment Management Services | New London | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Hedberg | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Hughes | Telos Partners | Cottonwood Heights | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Melsness | Superior Financial | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Philip Snyder | Snyder Asset Management | Hunt Valley | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Pradeep Tempalli | Allium Financial Advisors | Lake Oswego | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachael Smith | TopRac Financial | Cypress | ChFC | One-time planning fee, Hourly |
| Raliegh Riddoch | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ralph Freibert | Planning Associates Wealth Management | Metairie | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raman Ghei | Tower View Wealth Management | Shorewood | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Randa Hoffman | RADIANT Wealth Planning | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Randall Maycock | Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Randol Curtis | Thryve Wealth Management | Jackson | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Randy Smith | Clear Sky Financial | Prosper | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
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.