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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquel Wheeler | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Raymond Bonner | Bonner & Smith | Lubbock | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Raymond Torres | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rebecca Anderson | KingsMark Private Financial Advisors | Albany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rebecca Lees | OLIO Financial Planning | Crozet | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Rebecca Stone | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Reginald Maxfield | Olympus Peaks Financial | Sandy | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Reid Watson | Legacy Wealth Management | Ridgeland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Reyn Eichenlaub | Canopy Wealth Management | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Rhonda Grover | Wealth 360 | Buford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Otto | KOM Wealth Management | Appleton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Seeger | R. Seeger Wealth Management | Lindenhurst | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ricky Kelley | RD Kelley Financial Group | Tucson | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robby Harfst | Harfst and Associates | Sheridan | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Allan | Welon | Montgomery | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Barber | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Barrale | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Flink | Goepper Burkhardt | Greenville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Florek | Florek Financial | Duxbury | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Gillooly | Elmwood Wealth Management | Berkeley | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Higgins | Dalton Financial | Charlotte | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Jamison | Jamison Private Wealth Management | Milton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Jamison | Jamison Private Wealth Management | Milton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Johnson | Elevate Wealth Management | Sheridan | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Kohn | Tenzing Financial | Williamsburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Pick | RightWise Wealth | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Robert Roland | Absher Wealth Management | Raleigh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Sell | Polaris Asset Management | Sugar Hill | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ronald Bates | St. Clair Advisors | Mayfield Heights | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ross Hager | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ross Pollard | Breakwater Capital | Kalamazoo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rupesh Goyal | Alphanso | Rochester | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Russell Holcombe | Holcombe Financial | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Callas | Greenhouse Wealth Management | Westport | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Heidenreich | Sunpointe Investments | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Kohr | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Melnyk | Manzanita Wealth Management | West Sacramento | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan Richardson | Weatherly Asset Management | Del Mar | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Waid | Graves Light Lenhart Private Wealth Management | Harrisonburg | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Sam Evans | Evans Wealth Management | Duluth | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Samantha Link | Brockenbrough | Richmond | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Samantha Swiderski | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Samuel Tenney | Fidelis Wealth Advisors | Castle Rock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sandria Calio | Providence Financial Services | Rocky River | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sarah Nix | Keller Wealth Advisors | Victoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sarah Racek | OLIO Financial Planning | Blacksburg | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Sarah Stymus | Whitney & Company | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Sarah Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Scott Abrahamson | SpringSource Wealth Advisors | Hillsboro | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Burg | TFC Financial | Boston | CFA | 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.