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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassidy Kohmann | Kohmann Bosshard | Akron | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Chad Taylor | MDT Financial Advisors | Webster | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Boling | Global Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Boling | Global Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Foss | CORE Wealth Advisors | Lakeland | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Shipman | Blue Keel Financial Planning | Westport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Charles Shiver | Arkos | Milton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Charles Smith | DT Investment Partners | Chadds Ford | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Chaya Sternbach | Yields4U | Bet Shean, Israel | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christen Biddlestone | Trinity Financial Advisors | Columbus | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christian Becnel | Steel Grove | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christie Markham | Beck Bode | Dedham | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christina Doherty | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christina Hua | Opal Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Performance-based fees |
| Christina Johnson | 3rd Creek | Reno | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christine Foster-Perry | Absher Wealth Management | Wilkesboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Barr | Bluestone Private Wealth | Cleveland | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Berte | Signet Financial Management of Southwest Florida | Naples | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Brauner | KEB – Kerber, Eck & Braeckel | Springfield | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Conover | Hudson Companies | Pearl River | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Devlin | Selective Wealth Management | Forest | CFA | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Fitts | Bortolussi Wealth Management | Southborough | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Gettelfinger | S.E.E.D. Planning Group | Saint Petersburg | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Harris | Strategic Advisory Partners | Greensboro | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Martin | Tamalpais Asset Management | Larkspur | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Morgan | Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management | Little Rock | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Christopher Niemela | Foresee Wealth Advisors | Bellevue | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Nolt | Solid Rock Wealth Management | Bozeman | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Christopher Radigan | Whitney & Company | Rochester | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Ricketts | Ricketts Financial | Louisville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Ruane | Treehouse Wealth Advisors | Walnut Creek | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Topolewski | Wick Capital Partners | Wayne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Christopher Vernon | Andrew Hill Investment Advisors | Naples | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cindy Yac | FCA | Houston | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cinthya Miceli | Carrington Group | Dallas | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Claireese Baggao | Layline Financial | Sandpoint | Not listed | Ongoing planning fee, Percentage of assets |
| Clare Manning | Rosemeyer Management Group | Platteville | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Clarence Bush | Bush Capital Management | Sarasota | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clay Skurdal | RiskBridge Advisors | Norwalk | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Clayton Williams | Steel Grove | Memphis | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cliff Demarest | Consilium Wealth Advisory | Frisco | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Clifton Dortch | Balentine Wealth Advisors | Atlanta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cody Gunn | Arrowstone Wealth | Malaga | Not listed | Percentage of assets |
| Cody Jennings | Clear Investment Research | Alpharetta | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Cole Smith | Lyons Capital Group | Shreveport | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Colten Kitcho | Note Advisors | Buffalo | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Hourly |
| Colton Koehler | Convergence | Omaha | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Corey Thacker | Gannett Wealth Advisors | Middleton | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cortright Wetherill | Wick Capital Partners | Wayne | Not listed | Percentage of assets, Fixed fees |
| Cory McPherson | ProActive Capital Management | Topeka | 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.