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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Brown | Paradiem | Covington | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Mitchel Ludtke | Grange Capital | Beaverton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Mitchell Bednoff | Sage Financial Group | West Conshohocken | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mitchell Knotek | Journey Wealth | Cleveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Mitchell Towne | LeClair Wealth Partners | Dublin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Flat fee or retainer |
| Mitra Shahi | Wealth Management Partners | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Monica Carlos | Audible Wealth Management | Silver Spring | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Monica Ladson | Elm3 Financial Group | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Monty McCurley | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Collierville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Morgan Brown | Wealth Management Partners | Tucson | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Morgan Roberts | Manchester Capital Management | Manchester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nathan Barham | Perspective Advisors | Bartlesville | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nathan Freeman | Oldfield Wealth Partners | Bangor | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nathan Mescobi | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nathan Tonsager | Monument Wealth Management | Alexandria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Nathaniel Gilbert | Meridian Financial Partners | Warrenton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Ngoc Thuy Vy Nguyen | Private Advisory Group | Redmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Nicholas Evans | CM Wealth | Beachwood | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Hoffman | Nicholas Hoffman & Company | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Joseph | Sentinel Wealth Management | Reston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Lloyd | Novare Capital Management | Charlotte | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Nicholas Oldham | Waterway Wealth Management | The Woodlands | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nicholas Paterniti | Journey Wealth | Cleveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Nicholas Wold | Alitus Financial | Fircrest | PFS | Percentage of assets |
| Niklas Brusen | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Nisiar Smith | Courtside Wealth Partners | Blue Bell | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Noah Cottman | Warburton Capital Management | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Noah Skinner | Skinner Copper & Ehmen | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Odette Thurston | HeadInvest | Portland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Orie Helaire | Epiphany Wealth Management | Houston | ChFC, PFS | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Owen Schrum | Schrum Private Wealth Management | St. Augustine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Paola Bernal Cuevas | Global Kandor | Miami | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Parker Anderson | Private Advisory Group | Lehi | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Partick Quealy | Aureum Wealth Management | North Palm Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Pasha Shemirani | Wealth Management Partners | Los Angeles | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Keane | Nevis Equity Advisors | Dobbs Ferry | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Patrick Latta | ACT Advisors | Asheville | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee |
| Patrick Mauney | Mauney-Pitt Financial Management | Shelby | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Paul Banks | Worley Banks Group | Creve Coeur | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Paul Burgdorf | Harvest Financial Advisors | West Chester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Paul Thompson | Ascension Capital Advisors | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Penny Houseman | Kocen Financial Group | Rancho Mirage | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Gillis | Pallas Capital Advisors | Oak Bluffs | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Hamburger | Prosperity Wealth Strategies | Bloomfield Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Peter Kunze | Guardant Wealth Advisors | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Peter Pavlov | Lynx Investment Advisory | Columbia | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Peter Simmons | Peddock Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Philip Fessler | AIRE Advisors | Beverly Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Phillip Hogan | Beacon Hill Wealth Management | Victoria | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Praveena Naduthota | Pallas Capital Advisors | Westford | 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.