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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Schwartz | MZ Capital | Washington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Scott | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Seelman | ProffittGoodson Private Wealth | Knoxville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Sitzman | Diamond Client Group | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Stevenson | Keystone Financial Services | Loveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Michael Thayer | Private Asset Management | Kirkland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Wakeham | Acorn Financial Services | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Wunsch | WealthDevs | Santa Cruz | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Michael Ye | New Insight Wealth Advisors | San Ramon | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michael Yongue | Private Wealth Partners | Mill Valley | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michele Haguewood | Jackson & Associates | Albuquerque | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Michelle Czarnecki | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Michelle Moyer | Strong Retirement Solutions | Bremerton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Miles Laubinger | Potomac Wealth Management | Great Falls | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mindy Evans | Nora Wealth | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Mitchell Law | Arrow Wealth Advisors | Lynchburg | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mitchell Tuchman | Rebalance | Palo Alto | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mona Kuhlman | TandemGrowth Financial Advisors | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Monica Lanzilotta | Amplius Wealth | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Murcy Huang | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mustaque Choudhury | Soulence Wealth Management | Pleasant Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nalby Nouh | Prestige Wealth Management Group | Flemington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Cameron | Precision Wealth Strategies | St. Louis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Rydalch | Cooper Norman Wealth | Idaho Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Blankl | Consilium Wealth Advisory | West Linn | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Carman | Clear Harbor Wealth Management | Destin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Deery | Promus Advisors | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas DeSantis | Quaker Wealth Management | Moorestown | CFP, CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Martin | Hemsley Advisors | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Michel | Strong Tower Wealth | Minneapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Michels | Michels Family Financial | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicolas Drury | Baynes Investment Counsel | Fort Worth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nihar Shah | Shah Wealth Advisors | Chino Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noah Fenz | Investors Portfolio Services | Puyallup | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Noah Lewis | Scholar Financial Advising | Winston-Salem | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer |
| Noah Shidlofsky | Riverpoint Wealth Management | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noah York | York Wealth Management | West Chicago | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Owen Lahr | Andrews Advisory Associates | Honolulu | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Patrick Kearney | Brock Hill Wealth Management | Newton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Babij | Sundial Wealth | Delray Beach | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Brown | Clearstone Wealth Management | Murfreesboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Hegdahl | Hegdahl Investment Management | Seattle | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Jacobs | Palisades Hudson Financial Group | Atlanta | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paul Love | Saxon Financial Group | Houston | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Means | Means Wealth Management | Venice | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Pedro Silva | Apex Investment Group | Hudson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Perrin Jones | BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions | Birmingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Baden | Crew Capital | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Boyle | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Dizdar | Palumbo Wealth Management | Great Neck | Not listed | 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.