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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Tsukerman | Eureka Wealth Solutions | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Igor Yukhvidin | Vertex Planning Partners | Downers Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| J Keffury | Cadenza Financial Planning | Eymet, France | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jackson Mazzei | Trinity Strategic Wealth | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacob Kidder | Choate Wealth | Boston | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jacob Martin | Soulence Wealth Management | Pleasant Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Millican | 9M Investments | Grapevine | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Pacini | Soulence Wealth Management | Pleasant Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Sheaf | LRC Aviation Advisors | Milwaukee | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Siani | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jagdish (Jay) Sitlani | Pacific Point | San Diego | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jaime Cutter | RiversEdge Advisors | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jakhongir Mirtalipov | Dream Life Wealth Management | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| James Armstrong | Henry H. Armstrong Associates | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Behr | Stillwater Private Wealth | Mt. Pleasant | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| James Bertram | Baynes Investment Counsel | Franklin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Bowie | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Carr | Keystone Global Partners | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Curran | JPC Wealth Management | Petaluma | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| James Keenan | Keenan Private Wealth Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Lawson | Heritage Financial Network | Concord | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Potter | Brock Hill Wealth Management | Newton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Proffitt | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Tarkenton | Townsend Asset Management | Raleigh | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Vitiello | Fifth Avenue Wealth Advisors | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jane Johnson | Alliance Private Wealth | North Reading | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jared Quereau | Baldwin Management | West Conshohocken | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jared Redfield | Tidemark Financial Partners | San Diego | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Jason Blumstein | Julius Wealth Advisors | Englewood Cliffs | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Bruxvoort | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Gragg | Gragg Financial | Shelby | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Kooyer | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Lunsford | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Strough | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bremerton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Vavra | VCM Wealth | Collegeville | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeff Poole | Wealth Analytics | San Clemente | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffery Margolf | Tangent Financial | Honolulu | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Augspurger | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bloomington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Borman | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Conway | Conway Partners | Incline Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Lehmann | Ballast | Lexington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Martin | RPO Wealth Partners | Charlotte | Not listed | Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Nowell | Mascoma Wealth Management | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeffrey St. Claire | Blume Capital Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Vieth | Knightsbridge Wealth Management | Newport Beach | CFP | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Jennifer Berdell | Kinloch Capital | Glen Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer McElderry | Paller Financial Services | Centennial | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jennifer Walenter | Keystone Financial Services | Loveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jered Skousen | Harvard Avenue | Gilbert | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jeremiah Harston | Lockshield Partners | Glasgow | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
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.