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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Kraus | Walnut Investment Services | Brooklyn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Heinz Brisske | KRM Financial Services | St. Charles | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Helena Sandoval | Kera Capital | San Jose | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Henrique Cataldi | Main Street Research | Lakeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Henry Hien Phan | Kera Capital | San Jose | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Henry McCall | Inman Jager Wealth Management | Hattiesburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hilton Kelly | Tall Trees Wealth | Portsmouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hunter Breedlove | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Hunter Brockway | Boca Retirement Strategies | Jupiter | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hunter Klus Wedel | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Hylan Moises | Darden Wealth Group | Ann Arbor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ian Dillow | Dillow Wealth Management | Oak Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Ian McConnell | Fox Hill Wealth Management | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Ian Richards | CMH Wealth Management | Dallas | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Ira Ross | Spartan Planning | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Isiah Williams | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jack Branch | Pelican Family Office | Covington | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Percentage of assets |
| Jackson Greer | Duncan Williams Asset Management | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jackson Murray | Intermountain Wealth Management | Idaho Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jackson Roberts | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jackson Wilson | Mauney-Pitt Financial Management | Shelby | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Guinn | Alpha Capital Family Office | Greenwood Village | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacob Margo | Main Street Research | Lakeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob Schwartz | Green Ocean Global | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacob Swartz | Main Street Research | Lakeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jacob VandenBosch | Hill Island Financial | Grand Rapids | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jacqueline Rowe | Fiduciary Financial Group | San Rafael | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jadon Dailey | Kera Capital | Mesa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Baynard | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| James Boon | Jupiter Wealth Management | Glendale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Boon | Jupiter Wealth Management | Glendale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Dean | Guardant Wealth Advisors | Palmetto Bay | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Demmert | Main Street Research | Lakeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Ek | PCM Encore | Woburn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Ellerson | The Ellerson Group | Annapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Fisher | The Aranda Group | Jenkintown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Gore | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Harlow | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| James Hough | Arbor Investment Advisors | Winston Salem | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Keene | McLaughlin Asset Management | Lafayette | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Myers | Journey Wealth | Cleveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Naify | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James ONeill | Magnolia Wealth | Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| James Petricciani | Convexity Wealth Management | Seattle | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| James Rose | Concord Financial Group | Sheridan | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| James Spangler | TradeWinds Wealth Management | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jamie Cox | Gibraltar Capital Management | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Janelle Durbin | Main Street Research | Lakeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jasmine Miller | Kilter Group | Peoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Berkholz | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Brownsburg | 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.