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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Hampton | Moment Partners | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Kahan | Financial Asset Management | Chappaqua | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Scott Lasky | Lionshead Wealth Management | New York | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Sanders | Integrity Wealth Management | Eugene | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Scott Wallace | Thrifty Scotty Financial | Round Rock | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Sean O'Brien | Echo45 Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sean Sevey | Sevey Wealth Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Sean Shannon | Monograph Wealth | Manhattan Beach | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Sean Sternbach | Cloud Capital Management | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Shaun Eddy | Oxford Planning Group | Woodstock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shawn Glogowski | Note Advisors | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shawn Hirsch | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shawn Kindt | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Shawn Peters | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sloane Bennett | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Sophia Berglund | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Spencer Turkal | Sierra Hotel Financial | Temecula | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Spencer Werres | OLIO Financial Planning | Mclean | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Sprague Kolp | Opal Advisors | Bellevue | CFP | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Stacey Liu | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephanie Sandle | Bluestone Private Wealth | Cleveland | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Stephanie Stumpf | WealthCrossing | Richmond | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephen Cote | Cote Financial Management | Wenham | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Crifasi | Westover Capital Advisors | Wilmington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stephen Paul | Wick Capital Partners | Wayne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Stephen Santangelo | Matriarch Wealth Management | Miami | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Aycock | Austin Money Management | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Bloch | Bloch Private Wealth | The Colony | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Drost | Drost Financial | Ham Lake | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Economopoulos | Econ Wealth Management | Harrisburg | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Hengehold | HCM Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Jamison | Jamison Hanson | Salem | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven O'Connor | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Steven Pickard | Carswell Investments | Daniel Island | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Szafranski | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Stuart Strasner | Defiant Capital Group | Warrendale | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Susan Smith | Bonner & Smith | Lubbock | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Susan Winchester | Mascoma Wealth Management | Hanover | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Suzanne Antonelli | Antonelli Financial Advisors | Grosse Pointe | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tad Weiss | Modus Advisors | Excelsior | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tafiti Uso | Pacific Wealth Partners | Honolulu | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Tahlia Micoley | Walkner Condon Financial Advisors | Verona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tameem Qasem | Azzad Asset Management | Falls Church | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tami Carroll | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tarif Homsi | NoorVest | Leesburg | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tatum Duffie | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Taylor Bell | Aequitas Financial | Santa Ana | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Teresa Joelson | Christian Financial Advisors® | New Braunfels | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Terry Robinette | Peak Asset Management | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Bonvissuto | Intero Financial Planning | Parkton | CFP, ChFC, CFA | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
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.