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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Abrahamovich | Poulos Advisors | South Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kyle Neese | Sunpointe Investments | St. Louis | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Roney | Troika Capital Advisors | Athens | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Laleeta Hill | Noesis Capital Management | Boca Raton | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lance Johnson | ROI Financial Advisors | Beaverton | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Hourly |
| Larry Elkin | Palisades Hudson Financial Group | Fort Lauderdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Laura Brown | Addington Financial Group | Cypress Springs Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Laura Martin | Richard P. Slaughter Associates | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lauren Desmarteaux | Preserve Private Wealth | Port St. Lucie | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lauren Dwyer | Strategic Family Wealth Counselors | Fairfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lauren Simpson | Rebalance | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lauren Truer | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lawrence Kiely | Prostatis Group | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lily Evans | Evans Wealth Management | Duluth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Linda Yu | Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lindsay La Fleur | LL Financial Services | Ossining | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lindsay Shetterly | Glassman Wealth | Vienna | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Liran Amir | SKP Wealth | Glendale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Clements | Clear Springs Wealth | Bucyrus | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Lisa Schaefer | KFA Private Wealth Group | Chevy Chase | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lisa Stroud | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lloyd Wong | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Logan Pettus | Sweeney Financial Advisors | Bedford | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lois Crichton | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lori Hannemann | Clear Ridge Wealth Management | Kalamazoo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Louise Alexander | Gates Pass Advisors | Los Altos | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lucas Cheatham | Diamond Client Group | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Luke McClure | Vandalia Wealth | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Luke Sauter | Vidarrow Investment Advisors | Arlington Heights | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| M'Lissa Brillhart | LifeSteps Financial | Claremont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Madison Moe | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Maia Babbs | Lariat Wealth Management | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Malique Micenheimer | WIN Private Wealth | Elk Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Marc Roth | Elmwood Wealth Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marcel Quiroga | TQM Wealth Partners | Marblehead | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maria Ojeda Partida | Shah Wealth Advisors | Chino Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mariah Magana Mayorga | Tower View Wealth Management | Oshkosh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marisa Facciolo | RiversEdge Advisors | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marjun Tare | Selective Wealth Management | Forest | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Demos | Anson Analytics | Tyrone | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Eid | Acts Financial Advisors | Mclean | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Henry | Virtue Wealth Counsel | Tyler | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Herman | Acorn Financial Services | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Okamoto | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Schiffenhaus | Long Point Wealth Management | Wellfleet | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Schumacher | Third Day Capital | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Sumsion | Blue Barn Wealth | Orem | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Marshall Gilman | Onyx Bridge Wealth Group | Port St. Lucie | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Martin Boney | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Martin King | Brockenbrough | Richmond | CFA | 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.