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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Shainberg | Heritage Wealth Management | San Diego | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Daniel Sinton | Rational Investment Management | Mill Valley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Smith | FreeMind Financial Advisory | Shirley | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Stuckey | Geometric Advisors | Merion Station | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Venable | B.I.G. Investment Services | Dover | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daniel Zibinskas | Harbor Advisory | Portsmouth | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Danielle Wauchope | Paradiem | Covington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Danijel Romic | Journey Wealth | Cleveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Daric Olson | PCM Encore | Denver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Darren Graff | Guardant Wealth Advisors | Southampton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Daryl Eckman | Eckman Wealth Management | Phoenix | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Belding | Ascension Capital Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Blair | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Boothe | B.I.G. Investment Services | Dover | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Brandt | Harris Wealth Management | Twin Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Ellis | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Lowery | Lowery Thomas | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| David Peterson | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Sleeter | Ruggaard & Associates | Hudson | CFA | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| David Stuyck | Tanglewood Legacy Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| David Swift | Second 50 Financial | Manhattan Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Tsikman | Kocen Financial Group | Rancho Mirage | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| David Wulfert | Corus Family Wealth Advisors | Mckinney | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Davis Bean | Private Advisory Group | Draper | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Deanna Bloom | Elevate Wealth Advisory | Athens | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Delonte Harrell | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Derek Campbell | Twenty-Five Capital Partners | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Derek Wulff | Navista Wealth Management | Minnetonka | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Dillon Quintana | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Dominic Hubert | Schmidt Financial Management | Kirkland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Donald Campbell | Twenty-Five Capital Partners | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Donald McLaughlin | McLaughlin Asset Management | Danville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Donna McConnell | HeadInvest | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Douglas Bartolf | Atticus Wealth Management | Palm Beach Gardens | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Douglas Delong | Nordwand Capital | Radnor | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Douglas Johnson | Grand Wealth Management | Grand Rapids | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Eddy Park | Rose Capital Advisors | Coral Gables | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edward Cronin | Manchester Capital Management | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Edward Parolisi | Ironwood Wealth Management | Rye | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Edwin Ashton | Arete Financial and Legal Solutions | Goodyear | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Edwin Bennett | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elaine Biersack | Round Rock Advisors | Wilton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eleanor Quarles | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Eli Mitcham | Asset Lift Wealth Management | Cypress | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elizabeth Baldassari | Main Street Research | Lakeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Elizabeth Stroup | Verus Capital Partners | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Elsa Allmendinger | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Emily Slama | Main Street Research | Lakeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Emma Fabiano | Grand Wealth Management | Grand Rapids | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Emma Shaw | CoCreate Financial | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
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.