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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kristine Sawyer | Concord Financial Group | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Kristofer Venezia | Eckman Wealth Management | Long Island City | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Kyle Reese | Sprout Capital Management | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lance Peters | Nautical Star Financial | Las Colinas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lanny Rosenbaum | SIP Financial Services | Glenville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lauren Bell | Trio Wealth Management® | Great Falls | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lauren Kearl | Dentist Advisors | Salt Lake City | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Laurent Metzler | Apogee Financial Services Group | Moorestown | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lawrence Davsko | Skinner Copper & Ehmen | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lawrence Epperly | Legacy Wealth Management | Memphis | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lawrence Zimbler | 4square Advisory Services | Fenton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Leo Rose | Xception Family Office | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Leslie Garske | Traction Financial Partners | Littleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lester Brol | Brol Capital Management | Hampton Cove | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Levi Turner | Turner Financial | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Levi Westra | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Lily Mossayi | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lindsay Wolf | asendo wealth | Warren | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Logan Bowers | SOW Advisors | Youngsville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Logan Colwell | Eckman Wealth Management | Phoenix | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Logan Stelzner | PCM Encore | Aspen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lori Powell | Elevage Partners | Reno | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Lucas Franco | Oder Investment Management | Woodland Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Lucas Hodge | Monument Wealth Management | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Luis Whu | LULLA Wealth Financial | Vero Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Luke Leong | Wealthquest | Cincinnati | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Luz Curiel | Kilter Group | Rhinebeck | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Lydia Lok | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Madison Hicks | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mailinh Vu | Financial Plan | Bellingham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Ongoing planning fee |
| Marc Eppinger | Cascade Financial Strategies | Bend | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marcus Rose | TSN Wealth & Tax Management | Blue Ash | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Maria Bolanos Wong | Manchester Capital Management | Charlottesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Maria Lavrentyeva | BDC Capital Management | Glen Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mario Veneroso | Veneroso Wealth Management | Woodbury | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Blinderman | Walnut Investment Services | Brooklyn | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Elhilow | Blue Ocean Capital | West Palm Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Fedenia | Atlatl Advisers | Madison | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Fetterolf | My Financial Coach | Midland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Herskovitz | Equilibrium Wealth | Jerusalem, Israel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Idzik | Nearside Advisors | Indianapolis | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Kleespies | THOR Wealth Management | Cincinnati | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mark Minder | Darden Wealth Group | Ann Arbor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Reagan | Reagan Financial Planning | Oxford | Not listed | Hourly |
| Mark Schutter | Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors | Dayton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mark Vicencio | Lowery Thomas | Pebble Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mark Zembo | Elevage Partners | Longmeadow | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Marshall Fraser | Perspective Advisors | Bartlesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Martha Hays | ACT Advisors | Asheville | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Martha Raghunauth | Oxler Private Wealth | Rye Brook | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
Guides
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.