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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jodi Karambela | Integral Wealth Management | Turlock | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Biebel | Ridley Cove Financial Advisors | Newton | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Dodds | Dodds Wealth | Greenwood Village | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Dougherty | Dougherty Investment Advisors | Spring Hill | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Gallagher | Integrated Wealthcare | Durham | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Knopik | Ascent Wealth Management | Kalispell | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Lacey | Pacific Point Wealth Management | Carlsbad | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Leeming | JL Bainbridge | Sarasota | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John May | Ruggaard & Associates | Hudson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| John McNamara | Highball Advisors | Simsponville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Menser | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Morrison | Geometric Advisors | Austin | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Robertson | Live Oak Wealth Advisory Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Roscoe | Osprey Private Wealth | New York | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| John Ryan | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John Wilks | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| John York | ProActive Advisors | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Jon Meyer | BGM | Bloomington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonas Rohde | Rohde Wealth Management | Broadway | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Liebl | GenRise Wealth Advisors | Mt. Laurel | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Rhoney | Mill Capital Management | Concord | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Solo | Live Oak Wealth Advisory Group | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jordan Salim | Corus Family Wealth Advisors | Mckinney | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jose Cuevas | Wisdom Investments | Hoffman Estates | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Fabrizio | Legacy Advisors | Plymouth Meeting | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Gallagher | Sage Financial Group | West Conshohocken | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Leibfried | StackStone Wealth | Dubuque | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joseph Somerset | Beantown Financial Advisors | Jefferson | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joseph Williams | Williams Wealth Management | Hopkinton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Joshua Betts | Aletheian Wealth Advisors | Bellevue | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshua Gardner | Prosper Private Wealth | Mesa | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joshua Richardson | Peak Retirement Planning | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joshua Yoder | Hudock Capital | Williamsport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Julia Shaw | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jun Chea | Rainier Family Wealth | Tacoma | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Justin Ajimine | The Investment Counsel Company of Nevada | Las Vegas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Justin Ellsesser | Matthias | Winter Park | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Justin Klunder | Gray Private Wealth | Canton | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kale Soukup | Waterfront | Advisors | Overland Park | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katherine Frazier | BGM | Bloomington | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katherine Kincaid | Waller Financial Planning Group | Columbus | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Katherine Then | Laurel Wealth Planning | Edina | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Keely McLeod | Blue Chip Partners | Farmington Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Keith Hays | Creative Capitalists | Glendale | Not listed | Hourly, Flat fee or retainer |
| Kellan Peer | O'Keefe Stevens Advisory | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Kenneth Bellavance | truFP | Cumming | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Kenneth Bower | Clayton Financial Group | St. Louis | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kenneth Turner | Next Up Wealth Advisors | King George | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Brady | MJP Wealth Advisors | Westport | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kevin Erwert | Aletheian Wealth Advisors | Bellevue | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
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.