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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christina Simmonds | Hapanowicz | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Anderson | Soulence Wealth Management | Pleasant Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Culbertson | Brockenbrough | Richmond | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Dion | Brockenbrough | Richmond | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Fry | Capital Asset Management | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Gebhards | Summit Vision Financial | Rock Port | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Huston | Vertex Planning Partners | Downers Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Langlois | Integritas Wealth Strategies | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Nibley | Nibley Financial | Heber | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Oland | Harmony Wealth Advisors | Edgewater | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Ragain | Sentinel Wealth & Tax | Bonita Springs | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher Reyes | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Robinson | RFG Wealth Advisory | Argyle | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Sherman | Sherman Financial | Chapel Hill | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Christopher Williamson | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Clarissa Candelario | Private Asset Management | Kirkland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clark Forward | Forward Financial | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Claudia Valladares | 11 Financial | Lufkin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clay Rogers | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Clayton Earle | Elevate Wealth Group | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Clifford Kolson | Family Wealth Leadership | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Coby Sullivan | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cole Deardorff | Lauer Wealth Management | Valparaiso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Collin Toal | RCS Financial Planning | Annapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connie Biselx | All Star Financial | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connor Mykleby | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Connor Ridgeway | Leeward Financial Partners | Bellevue | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Connor Wright | Red Door Wealth Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Constance Mitchell | Wealth Analytics | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cort Barrett | White Aspen Capital | Henderson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Craig Harvey Field | Alluvial Wealth Management | Matthews | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Craig Rottman | Financial Strategies Group | Fargo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dalin Jewett | Tanara Wealth Management | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Damon Bremer | Sherman Financial | Chapel Hill | Not listed | Hourly, Ongoing planning fee |
| Dana Lyon | Capital Wise Advisory | Wesley Chapel | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dana Strickland | Scholar Financial Advising | Winston-Salem | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Daniel Berg | B.E.S.T. Wealth Management | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Daniel Klein | Lockshield Partners | Glasgow | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Daniel Mavraides | Rebalance | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Nakahara | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Seltzer | Arrow Wealth Advisors | Lynchburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Vogelpohl | Wealth Dimensions Group | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dante Sienko | Hapanowicz | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Darin Robinson | Precision Wealth Strategies | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Archibald | Colmina | Redmond | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Budinger | Kinloch Capital | Glen Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Cust | Means Wealth Management | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| David Doll | Sequent Asset Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Klepeisz | Accruent Wealth Advisors | Winston-Salem | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Lin | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | 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.