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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Conway | Note Advisors | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Flavin | Flavin, Nooney & Person | Melbourne | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Kosinski | Stembrook Asset Management | Red Bank | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Mott | Analog Capital Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Owens | Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta | San Francisco | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Reynolds | CRA Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Sanders | KingsMark Private Financial Advisors | Albany | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Ellis | RBG Wealth Advisors | Memphis | CFP, PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Hartzell | Sequent Asset Management | Houston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Perryman | Mirretti Perryman Wealth Strategies | Skokie | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Reyna | Cerro Pacific Wealth Advisors | San Luis Obispo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Wojtalik | BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tina Babicz | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Todd Gomes | Sonoma Allocations | Santa Rosa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Todd Hadley | True Wave Financial Planners | Sacramento | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Hubbell | Hubbell Strickland Wealth Management | New Orleans | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tom Chun | Honu Wealth | Sunnyvale | CFP | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Tracey Baker | CJM Wealth Advisers | Falls Church | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Trent Hinton | Canopy Wealth Management | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tyler Baker | Baker Wealth Group | Lagrange | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tyler Heckman | Flavin, Nooney & Person | Melbourne | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyler Keenan | Fiducia Wealth Management | Upper Arlington | CFP, ChFC | Ongoing planning fee |
| Tyson Ray | FORM Wealth Advisors | Lake Geneva | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Valerie Lasher-Adelman | William Howard & Co. Financial Advisors | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Vaughn Kellerman | Gannett Wealth Advisors | Cleve | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Victoria Ward | Financial Lifestyle Management | Greenville | CFP | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Viktoria Kamin | Financial Asset Management | Chappaqua | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Virajith Wijeweera | FPL Capital Management | Metairie | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Volodymyr Stasenko | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Wanda Williams | Precedent Wealth Partners | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Wesley English | Vault Private Wealth | Lawrenceville | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Doepker | Altus Wealth Management | Ft. Mitchell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Henley | Larsen Wealth Management | El Dorado Hills | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| William Howard | William Howard & Co. Financial Advisors | Memphis | CFP, ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Lauderdale | FORM Wealth Advisors | Middleton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| William Martinez | ENZI Wealth | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William McDonald | Keen Wealth Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Shriver | Gilpin Wealth Management | Golden | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| William Smith | Wealthway Financial Advisors | Norfolk | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Yoel Kaplowitz | Able Wealth Management | Toms River | CFP | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Zachary Cole | Arrowstone Wealth | Malaga | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Zachary Erskine | Seneca Financial Advisors | Rochester | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zachary Matarazzo | Main Line Retirement Advisors | Whitefish | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Zachary Tekamp | Heritage Wealth Management Group | Norfolk | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Zachary Zimmer | Trebuchet Consulting | Pittsburgh | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Aaron Randak | Golden Acre Wealth Management | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Abbigail Kuna | Highland Investment Advisors | Brookfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Abigail Williams | Naviant Partners | Longview | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Adam Larkin | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Adam Strahan | BentOak Capital | Weatherford | Not listed | 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.