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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter News | Quaker Wealth Management | Moorestown | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Reidenbach | Blume Capital Management | Berkeley | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Walls | Kinloch Capital | Glen Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rachel Van Den Berg | Century Management Financial Advisors | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ralston Turner | TradeWinds | Raleigh | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Randall Zaharia | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rankin Starkey | SSB&T Wealth | Fredericksburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Regan Flaherty | ProAthlete Wealth Management | Boca Raton | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Reid Trego | Goodwin Investment Advisory | Woodstock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rhonda Carter | CapTrust Wealth Advisors | Holland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Devoe | Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors | Clarksdale | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard Hughes | Arlington Financial Advisors | Santa Barbara | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Richard McKean | Blue Elm Advisors | Holmes | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Richard Morgan | SSB&T Wealth | Bee Cave | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Richard Schiller | Pavlic Investment Advisors | Delafield | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Richard Speers | Private Wealth Management of NC | Henderson | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Alonso | Third Eye Associates | Red Hook | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Barron | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Parsippany | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Burke | Brockenbrough | Richmond | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Cardenas | LifeSteps Financial | Claremont | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Cramer | Sherrill & Hutchins | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert DiLegge | Hemsley Advisors | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Filosa | Atlantic Edge Wealth | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Hapanowicz | Hapanowicz | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Hapanowicz | Hapanowicz | Pittsburgh | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Heintz | Planning Associates Wealth Management | Metairie | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Johnson | Linkside Financial | Charlotte | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Jung | Crew Capital | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Robert Miller, Jr | Miller Gesko Wealth Management | Buffalo | CFP | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Nistendirk | WNA Wealth Management | Charleston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Pascarella | Peerless Wealth | Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Pickels | Whitney & Company | Rochester | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Robert Whitney | Polaris Investment Advisors, LLC. | Framingham | ChFC | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robert Wigfield | Selective Wealth Management | Forest | CFP | Percentage of assets |
| Roberta Newhouse | Alturas Wealth Management | Eagle | PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Robine Van Doorn | Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Robyn Cohen | Presidio Capital Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Rodrigo Nevado | Amoretti Capital Management | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Roger Gewecke | Clifford Swan | Pasadena | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Romy Brown | Beta Wealth Group | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ronald Whitley | Acorn Financial Services | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Russell Carlson | ARIA Wealth Management | Dunwoody | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Russell Thamm | Teamwork Financial Group | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ryan Bellis | Vertex Planning Partners | Downers Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Christensen | Awaken Wealth Partners | Houston | CFP | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ryan Gelrod | Fairman Financial | Chesterbrook | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Hammond | Hammond Wealth Partners | Gastonia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Ryan Herbert | Prostatis Group | Hanover | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Hill | Brock Hill Wealth Management | Wilmington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ryan Kilkenny | Atomic Planning | Gardner | 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.