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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Backenstoss | Soulence Wealth Management | Pleasant Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Duckworth | Prostatis Group | Baton Rouge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Hall | MarsJewett Financial Group | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Andrew Hill | Andrew Hill Investment Advisors | Naples | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Jung | Crew Capital | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Knachel | Oliver Wealth Management | Towson | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Andrew Lee | Linkside Financial | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Neiderer | Selective Wealth Management | Forest | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Andrew Sachais | Wick Capital Partners | Wayne | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Andrew Yashin | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Andrew Yee | Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors | Clarksdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ann Nowell | Richard P. Slaughter Associates | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anna Brewer | Financial Avenues, LLC. | Kearney | Not listed | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Annie Klopstock | Burton Enright Welch | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Castaldi | Covenant Wealth Advisors | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Lopiccolo | Custos Family Office | Greenwood Village | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Anthony McLean | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Anthony Wall | Upper Left Wealth Management | Tampa | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Arnold Van Den Berg | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Arthur Swalley | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Asa Graves | Graves Light Lenhart Private Wealth Management | Harrisonburg | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Ashley Ketchum | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ashley Michelli | Prostatis Group | Baton Rouge | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ashley Owens | 11 Financial | Gretna | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ashley Owens | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ashton Green | Soulence Wealth Management | Pleasant Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Austin Brockenbrough IV | Brockenbrough | Richmond | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Austin Gewecke | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Austin Miller | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Axel Bellars | Bellars Harris Wealth Management | Virginia Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Barbara Villard | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Beau Bushong | LeConte Wealth | Maryville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Benjamin Cohen | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Benjamin Peters | Burton Enright Welch | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Benjamin Sullivan | Palisades Hudson Financial Group | Austin | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Beth Wilson | Poulos Advisors | South Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bethany Dubuque | Mascoma Wealth Management | Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Beverly Patton | Syrios Wealth Management Group | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Billy Muhizi | Adams Brown Wealth Consultants | Hutchinson | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Blair Greenwood | Awaken Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Blake Eiermann | The Financial Resource Center | Carmel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Bonnie Chadwick | Paratus Financial | Dallas | Not listed | Hourly, Fixed fees |
| Brad Duerks | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Brad Harris | Bellars Harris Wealth Management | Virginia Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Brad Metz | Ark Advisors | Bloomington | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Bradley Linch | Linch Financial | Southlake | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Braeden Mischke | Strong Tower Wealth | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brandon Montoya | Montoya Wealth Management | Prescott | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Brandon Oliver | Oliver Wealth Management | St. Louis | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Brandon Smith | Flywheel Private Wealth | Los Altos | CFP | Percentage of assets |
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.