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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Hillstead | Private Advisory Group | Redmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Steven Kleyn | Aletheian Wealth Advisors | Bellevue | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven O'Mara | Brown Financial Planning | Bay City | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Reed | Reed Financial | Urbandale | ChFC | Percentage of assets |
| Steven Rosenberg | The Aranda Group | Jenkintown | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Steven Zorn | Oder Investment Management | Woodland Hills | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Susan Becker | Nicollet Investment Management | Minneapolis | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Susan Sofronas | Manchester Capital Management | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Tamara Surratt | Legacy Family Office | Bonita Springs | Not listed | Fixed fees |
| Tanner Dance | Andina Advisors | Logan | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terence Gliha | Journey Wealth | Cleveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Teresa Farmer - Clemens | Vega Financial | Plano | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terri Cavagnaro | DeDora Capital | Napa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terry Edwards | Womack Wealth and Business Management | Albuquerque | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terry Rogers | Verus Capital Partners | Huntsville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Terry Sapp | Live Oak Private Wealth | Wilmington | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Theodore Brooks | Nordwand Capital | Radnor | CFA | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Theodore Hellman | Hofman Wealth Management | Chesterfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thierry Hasse | Elevage Partners | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Carroll | Verus Capital Partners | Ventura | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Holt | Legacy Advisors | Plymouth Meeting | CFA | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Houston | Share The Harvest Partners | Canton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Kowalczyk | Concord Financial Group | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Marrollo | Apogee Financial Services Group | Moorestown | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Thomas Neja | Capital CS Group | Corona | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Quealy | Aureum Wealth Management | North Palm Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Razzano | Camarda Wealth Advisory Group | Fleming Island | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Sullivent | Gibraltar Capital Management | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Twombly | Lucien, Stirling & Gray Advisory Group | Austin | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Thomas Vogelheim | Fiduciary Financial Group | San Rafael | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Thomas White | Mountain Wealth Management | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tiffany Charles | Traction Financial Partners | Encampment | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Banks | Worley Banks Group | Creve Coeur | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Timothy Foster | QuadCap Wealth Management | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Koski | EverPar Advisors | Tulsa | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Timothy Mosier | Cairn Wealth Management | Vancouver | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Timothy Walt | CVW Financial | Plymouth | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Berger | Concord Financial Group | Allen | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Carbone | Capital CS Group | Irvine | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Todd Pouliot | Gateway Financial | Northfield | Not listed | Flat fee or retainer, Ongoing planning fee |
| Todd Vandam | Pallas Capital Advisors | Braintree | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tor Peery | Anchor Capital Management | Ithaca | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Travis Domingues | Corvus Wealth Advisors | Templeton | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Trevor Johnson | Dream Weaver Financial Planning | Richmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Trevor Sarif-Killea | Geometric Advisors | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Tricia Eliason | Private Advisory Group | Redmond | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Tristan Smith | Bauer Heitzmann | Colorado Springs | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Ty Buckelew | Watts Capital | New York | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Tyler Kiepke | Holden Family Office | North Palm Beach | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Tyson Farmer | Vega Financial | Mercer Island | 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.