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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Luedecke | Diamond Client Group | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Lyons | Brockenbrough | Richmond | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Means | Means Wealth Management | Greenville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| David Peppard | Baldwin Management | West Conshohocken | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Shelton | Harvard Avenue | Gilbert | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Sinclair | Soulence Wealth Management | Pleasant Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Tepp | Tepp Wealth Management | Westfield | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Walters | Palisades Hudson Financial Group | Hillsboro | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Yvars | The David J. Yvars Group | Valhalla | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| David Zale | Eagle Bay Family Office | New York | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Debra Ellisen | North Berkeley Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dell Thomason | Joyce Wealth Management | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Dennis Peatrowsky | Virtue Wealth Counsel | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dennis Tucker | Greenwich Advisors | Greenwich | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Dennis Voigt | DWV Advisors | Essex Junction | PFS | Ongoing planning fee |
| Derek Stross | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diana Apostolova | Rochester Investments | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Diana Jordan | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Dianne Hively | Hivest Financial | Tampa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dirk Conradie | Wealth Advisors Northwest | Portland | PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Domenica Stokes | JPC Wealth Management | Petaluma | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Donald Heishman | Acorn Financial Services | Harrisonburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Donald Swain | Professional Financial Management | Appleton | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Donna Zanetti | Pennsylvania Capital Management | Huntingdon Valley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dorsey Tyndall | Vandalia Wealth | Greenville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Douglas Johnson | HCM Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Douglas Moe | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Douglas Schmitz | Financial Strategies Group | Fargo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Douglas Whitten | LeConte Wealth | Maryville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Drew Vesling | Kotys Wealth Professionals | Valparaiso | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dustin Hunter | SunRift Capital Partners | Plainfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dustin Terry | Clear Harbor Wealth Management | Destin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dyllin Moulton | Fairscale Capital | Nashua | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eduardo Vigil | The Private Family Advisors | St. Louis | CFP | Ongoing planning fee |
| Edward Kolanko | Baynes Investment Counsel | Mason | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edwin Ryu | Legacy Wealth Advisors | San Jose | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elena Sargent | Factor Wealth Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Brady | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Elizabeth Jones | Third Eye Associates | Red Hook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Elizabeth Sowle | MarsJewett Financial Group | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Emily DeBlase | Organic Wealth | Columbus | ChFC | Ongoing planning fee, One-time planning fee |
| Emma Schneider | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Emmanuel Afolayan | Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management | San Jose | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Eric Baker | Means Wealth Management | Bangor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Eric Bergquist | LifeSteps Financial | Claremont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Forsythe | Hapanowicz | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Eric McKean | Blue Elm Advisors | Holmes | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Eric Meermann | Palisades Hudson Financial Group | Stamford | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eric Walton | Westwind Capital | Las Cruces | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Erik Bagley | Kotys Wealth Professionals | Folsom | 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.