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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Rascon | Weatherly Asset Management | Del Mar | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Marylynn Ford | LifeSteps Financial | Claremont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Antenucci | McCarley & Cook | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Augspurger | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bremerton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Darcy | Seneca Financial Advisors | Rochester | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Dupree | Denver Private Wealth Management | Denver | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Fernandez | Morrissey Wealth Management | North Haven | Not listed | One-time planning fee, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Fox | Ithaca Wealth | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Heard | BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Heller | HCR Wealth Advisors | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Little | Mascoma Wealth Management | Burlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew McGee | Integritas Wealth Strategies | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew McNally | Glassman Wealth | North Bethesda | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Matthew Oberdorfer | Oberdorfer Financial | Gahanan | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Matthew Sassani | Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Swendiman | Crew Capital | Cincinnati | ChFC, CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Turner | Selective Wealth Management | Forest | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Matthew Vallebo | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Matthew Williamson | 11 Financial | Lufkin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maxwell Pray | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Megan Beaufays | Avion Wealth | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Megan Cline | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Megan Dant | Saling Wealth Advisors | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Megan Sperry | Wealth Analytics | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Melinda Agosta | Farnam Financial | Molalla | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Melinda Kibler | Palisades Hudson Financial Group | Fort Lauderdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Melissa Johnson | Prentice Financial Planning | Olympia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Melissa Lowther | Alturas Wealth Management | Eagle | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Micah Reish | Crestone Financial Advisors | Broadway | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Michael Ball | Ball Wealth Management | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Canet | Prostatis Group | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Cavendish | Vandalia Wealth | Beckley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Cox | Seaside Wealth Advisors | Mechanicsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Crew | Flax Pond Capital | Merion Station | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael De Guzman | Teamwork Financial Group | San Antonio | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Dwyer | Strategic Family Wealth Counselors | Fairfield | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Ellis | Steelhead Wealth Management | Naples | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Emery | Leeward Financial Partners | Bellevue | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Gore | Polaris Investment Advisors, LLC. | Framingham | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Grennan | Charter Research & Investment Group | Southport | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Hemingway | Mascoma Wealth Management | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Hengehold | HCM Wealth Advisors | Cincinnati | PFS | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Jones | High Probability Advisors | Pittsford | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Kasianko | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Leclerc | CMH Wealth Management | Portsmouth | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Marietti | Riverbend Planning Group | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Marsh | Marsh Wealth Management | Knoxville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michael Mezheritskiy | Milestone Asset Management Group | Avon | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Michael Nelson | Eagle Bay Family Office | New York | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Olafsson | IWR Advisors | Denver | Not listed | 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.