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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Dow | Verus Capital Partners | Ventura | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jason Hetland | Financial Planning Navigators | Maple Grove | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jason Roesler | HighPoint CPAs | Laramie | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jasper Vaccaro | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffery Powell | Elevage Partners | Reno | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Camarda | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Geiser | Verus Capital Partners | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Karpel | Sage Financial Group | West Conshohocken | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Kopp | Cardea Capital Advisors | Jacksonville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey McClean | Solidarity Wealth | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Subscription |
| Jeffrey Shaw | Round Rock Advisors | Wilton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeffrey Spagnola | Kera Capital | San Jose | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeffrey Strode | Grange Capital | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jennifer Ziesk | Kilter Group | Rhinebeck | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jeremy Keating | Cosmos Wealth | La Jolla | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jeremy Tate | Tate Capital Group | Newport Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jerome Ledzinski, II | Praetorian Guard Wealth Management | Carmel | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jerry McDonnell | Keen Capital | Westminster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jesse Radoslovich | Mountain Wealth Management | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica Frigon | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jessica McConnell | Capital CS Group | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jethro Kollie | Fox Hill Wealth Management | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, One-time planning fee |
| Joanne Keller | The Aranda Group | Jenkintown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joel Braswell | Holden Family Office | North Palm Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Joel Kocen | Kocen Financial Group | Rancho Mirage | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Joel Stilwell | Rssic | San Francisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Brady | MBR Financial | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| John Burrows | Council Oak Wealth Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Chiacchiero | Oak Advisors | Bluffton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Dabov | Kelman-Lazarov | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Gavin III | PCM Encore | Aspen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Glaudel | Verus Capital Partners | Scottsdale | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Henek | Quantum Capital Investments | River Forest | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Hofman | Hofman Wealth Management | Chesterfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Hollahan | Arlington Wealth Management | Arlington Heights | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Ring | Moldenhauer & Associates | Orchard Park | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Rosswog | Solidarity Wealth | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Subscription |
| John Sanderson | Sanderson Wealth Management | Buffalo | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| John Stachnick | Kaizen Financial Strategies | Pleasanton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| John Wills | Kocen Financial Group | Rancho Mirage | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| John Youngman | Osprey Private Wealth | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Johnny Jones | Atlatl Advisers | Chicago | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Johnny Medina | RidgeOak Wealth | Arlington | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Arnold | RidgeOak Wealth | Tomball | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Berry | TrueHaven Capital | Richardson | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan McKinney | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jonathan Monroe | New Wave Financial | Collegeville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Jonathan Nadler | Oxler Private Wealth | Rye Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Jonathan Stump | Capstone Wealth Management | Lakeland | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Jordan King | Gibraltar Capital Management | Tulsa | 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.