Most Recommended Estate Planning Experts

Ralph Trigg is a California-based certified estate advisor with over 30 years of experience in retirement planning, estate planning, and inheritance for individuals and families. His work focuses on helping clients make informed financial decisions by understanding risk, market behavior, and long-term planning principles. He frequently provides commentary on investor psychology, financial literacy, and navigating market volatility.

Will Lane is a seasoned financial expert with over 20 years of experience across the financial sectors of banking, investments and insurance. He leads educational workshops across the country focused on helping Black families build, protect, and pass down generational wealth. Specializing in retirement planning, estate planning strategies and life insurance, Will is known for his ability to make complex financial concepts practical, relatable, and easy to understand. His work centers on empowering families with the knowledge needed to move from short-term financial planning to long-term financial security. Will has been featured in national publications such as Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and American Business Stars, where he shares insights on the importance of financial literacy, legacy planning, and closing the racial wealth gap. A key aspect of his approach is helping individuals identify and overcome self-sabotaging financial patterns so they can make confident decisions about protecting their families, preparing for retirement, and leaving a lasting legacy. Through his education-first approach and no-nonsense delivery, Will has become a trusted voice for podcasts, panels, and publications focused on financial education, wealth building, and economic empowerment within the Black community.

Nicole Israel is a New York and New Jersey estate planning, probate and elder law attorney and the founder of The Law Office of Nicole Israel, PLLC, a boutique solo practice based in Manhattan. She helps individuals and families protect what they've built through wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and comprehensive Medicaid planning strategies including Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, and pooled income trusts. Nicole launched her firm in 2020 after leaving a large firm during the COVID-19 pandemic as a new parent. That decision shaped the kind of lawyer and advocate she became: one who meets clients where they are and explains complex legal concepts in plain, human language. Her practice spans two jurisdictions and covers the full arc of estate and elder law, from drafting foundational planning documents for young families to navigating Medicaid eligibility for aging clients and probate. She regularly advises on multi-jurisdictional and cross-border planning matters, including cases involving foreign assets and international family structures. Nicole is also the author of The Living Trust Blueprint, a consumer-focused guide to understanding revocable trusts published on Amazon. She is a sought-after voice on estate planning topics including inheritance and divorce, asset protection for families, guardianship for minor children, and Medicaid planning strategies for aging parents. Nicole has been quoted in national media and is available to comment on estate planning, elder law, Medicaid strategy, guardianship, and the legal and financial considerations surrounding inherited assets.

I am an estate planning attorney with an international background and over 20 years experience. I specialize in creating wills and trusts for families in California, including but not limited to revocable grantor trusts, living trusts, special needs trusts, irrevocable trusts, etc.

I am a business attorney focused on working with Dentists, DSO's, Physicians, Entrepreneurs, and Small Business Owners. I founded Odgers Law Group in 2013 in Del Mar, California, and have since opened up offices in Poway, Mission Valley, and Los Angeles. My firm, Odgers Law Group, helps professionals and business owners in each step of their business life cycle: Formation, Growing, Protecting, and Exiting and plans for wealth preservation and transfer through comprehensive trust based estate planning.

Brad A. Galbraith is the Managing Partner at GW Law, PLLC’s Naples and Indianapolis offices. He focuses on providing creative, cutting-edge estate, tax, and business planning advice to business owners and other wealthy individuals. Brad is board certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates by The Florida Bar Association. Brad began his professional career as a Certified Public Accountant. After switching to the practice of law and seeing the ineffectiveness and inefficiency of traditional planning methods, he endeavored to find a better way to assist his clients with estate, tax and business planning. As an estate planning attorney, he developed a model designed to provide clients with comprehensive, personalized estate, tax and business succession plans that withstand the test of time. Brad maintains an Indiana CPA license and has taught estate and tax planning to CPAs and attorneys at conferences and continuing education events throughout the United States. Additionally, Brad is the co-author of an extensive continuing education program for CPAs which has been published and distributed nationally. That program, entitled Estate Planning for CPAs, has also been presented to thousands of CPAs throughout the United States. Brad is also the author of several books, including: Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts Line By Line, Family Limited Partnership Agreement Line By Line, Family LLC Operating Agreements Line By Line, and is co-author of Disinherit The IRS, Don’t Die Until You’ve Read This Book, The Four Corners: Where Your Estate Plan Becomes A Living Legacy, and The Florida Domicile Handbook.

Ryan Duffy is a North Carolina and South Carolina attorney who helps families protect what matters most through clear, practical estate planning. As the founder of Estate Planning of the Carolinas, he focuses on wills, trusts, probate, and incapacity planning, offering a streamlined, virtual-first experience that makes quality legal help easier to access. Ryan also maintains a personal-injury practice and advises clients through complex real-world problems. Outside of client work, he operates Legal Verb, a content and SEO service for law firms looking to grow through better online visibility.

Long Island estate lawyer Lawrence Eric Davidow is the managing partner of the firm Davidow, Davidow, Siegel & Stern, which was founded by his grandfather in 1913. He provides experienced counsel to seniors and business owners with estate planning, elder law, Medicaid, and special needs matters. He is also committed to informing elders, the disabled, and their families of their rights, providing education via seminars, blog, podcast, and his book "Listen to Lawrence If You're Planning to Keep It."

Jeff Burr has been recognized as one of the top tax and estate planning attorneys in Southern Nevada and has been practicing for over 40 years. Through his years of community service and continual hard work, his personal client list contains many of the most prominent families in southern Nevada. Under Jeff's leadership, the firm has received the highest and most prestigious AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. Jeff's community involvement includes having been elected to the Clark County School Board and serving on boards such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada, KLVX Planned Giving, St. Rose Dominican Foundation, Nevada State College, The Giving Tree, LDS Philanthropies and others. Jeff has been named by his peers as one of the top estate planning attorneys in Southern Nevada in every edition of Best Lawyers in America.

Tax Attorney and CPA, Former IRS Agent Host of TaxWhit's Wealth Protection Podcast Published Author and Presenter on Tax and Estate Planning Topics

As a seasoned Wealth Advisor with over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, I've had the privilege of working with diverse types of clientele, helping them navigate the complexities of financial planning. My journey has been defined by a commitment to understanding each client's unique goals and developing tailored strategies that encompass everything from retirement and estate planning to tax-efficient investment portfolios. Throughout my career, I've worked closely with individuals and families at various life stages, from young professionals just starting their financial journeys to retirees looking to preserve and grow their wealth. My approach is holistic, ensuring that all aspects of my clients' financial lives are aligned with their long-term objectives. In addition to my advisory role, I’ve held leadership positions where I guided teams of financial planners in crafting comprehensive financial planning strategies. My leadership experience includes overseeing the design and implementation of systems that addressed complex financial needs, such as equity compensation planning, college funding, and insurance solutions. My goal is to continue empowering clients to achieve financial security and peace of mind, while leveraging my expertise and leadership to deliver personalized, results-driven financial strategies.

I work with founders doing $1M–$25M in revenue who have built income from their business but never built a transferable asset. Most of these businesses won't sell at the number the owner has been counting on, and the reasons are usually structural: the business depends on the owner, the entity isn't built for a clean exit, and the tax exposure was never modeled against an actual sale. By the time someone calls a banker, the decisions that determine the outcome were made years earlier. At Big Life Financial, a fractional family office for founder-led businesses, and at Fielding Global a boutique management consultant firm, we help with exit planning, tax strategy, investment management, asset protection and business advisory as one integrated system rather than separate vendors solving separate pieces. I speak and write on the difference between running a business and investing in one, and on what it takes to create the generational wealth so many desire.

I am the co-founder of Flourish Law Group, a boutique law firm specializing in estate planning, elder law, and probate administration. I have an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, over 13 years of experience in trusts and estates and tax planning, including over 5 years in Biglaw with the U.S.’ largest private wealth services legal group, am a Florida Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel, and I am very passionate about educating her community about the power and importance of estate planning. I am also the founder of Legal + Wealthy, a community and coaching programs curated for pre-law and law students and new lawyers and the host of The Legal + Wealthy podcast. I strive to empower those who are just entering the legal industry to dream big, chart their own path, and focus on a positive money and overall mindset. Through The Law School Success Blueprint for pre-law and law students, and The Lawyer Success Blueprint for lawyers, the $quad provides the tools for success, increased confidence, improved mental and physical wellbeing, and inspiration to take control of your legal career Legal + Wealthy also provides unique programming and events, such as inspirational talks to 1L law school classes, retreats, and happy hours, and teaches students and lawyers how to form invaluable connections and relationships through intentional networking. I have been featured in many media outlets including AOL news, the Women Lawyers Journal of the National Association of Women Lawyers, MassMutual, the CW Miami, the Daily Drip, and Voyage Miami, and has done recent collaborations with Memorial Hospital, Nova Southeastern University, the YMCA of South Florida, St. Thomas University School of Law, and Florida State University College of Law. Most recently, I was awarded the Prestigious Corporate Counsel's Women, Influence & Power in Law Award for the Mental Health & Well Being Initiative. I live in Fort Lauderdale with my husband and two little boys and I love to travel, try new foods and read as many books as possible.

I have worked in the financial services industry since 2011, holding a variety of roles across both large institutions and boutique firms. My experience includes working with major organizations such as State Street Bank and Morgan Stanley, as well as smaller, independently owned firms. In 2024, I left Morgan Stanley to become a partner at Town Square Wealth Management & Consulting. Town Square Wealth Management & Consulting is a locally owned boutique firm focused on providing comprehensive financial planning and advice to business owners and recent retirees. In addition to holding the CFP® designation, I am a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), helping business owners prepare for and navigate the eventual sale of their businesses. I strongly believe that thoughtful planning is the foundation of every successful client relationship. After working within large corporate environments, I came to believe that serving hundreds of clients at once does not allow for the level of care and attention clients deserve. Our firm is intentionally structured to remain highly personal, allowing us to deliver focused, meaningful guidance rather than operating as a high-volume practice.

Mike is a senior wills and estates lawyer in British Columbia. He founded the firm Westcoast Wills & Estates in 2011. He regularly advises clients on estate planning and prepares Wills, Trusts, Representation Agreements and Powers of Attorney. He also advises and helps clients apply to court for probate orders. Mike earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UBC in 2002 prior to earning his Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie Law School in Halifax in 2006. A practicing lawyer, Mike is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association’s Wills & Trusts and Elder Law subsections. He has earned the TEP designation as a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP Canada). He is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Vancouver. He is also a past board member of the Marineview Housing Society and sat on an advisory panel for the BC Cancer Agency. He regularly presents at continuing education courses and also frequently presents publicly on trusts and estate planning for financial institutions, charities and educational institutions around Vancouver. He has been interviewed and featured in numerous publications over the years.

Kris Alban, AIF®, is a Financial Planner at BSG Advisers, a fiduciary-based financial planning firm headquartered in Apex, North Carolina. With a background in financial technology and a passion for simplifying complex financial topics, Kris brings a unique blend of innovation and personalized service to his clients. He specializes in long-term wealth planning, retirement strategies, and financial wellness education, helping individuals and families navigate their financial journeys with clarity and confidence. Kris is also a contributor to industry publication. where he shares insights on financial wellness and retirement planning. Prior to joining BSG Advisers, Kris co-founded iGrad, a San Diego-based financial technology company that provides AI-powered financial wellness solutions to employers, financial institutions, and educational institutions. As Executive Vice President, he played a pivotal role in developing the Enrich Financial Wellness platform, which serves over 20,000 employers and more than 300 financial institutions.

With over 15 years at Smith & Howard Wealth Management, my focus is on empowering clients through meticulous financial planning and investment management. We, as a team, have a steadfast commitment to our clients, ensuring they are equipped with a comprehensive financial plan that encompasses not just asset growth, but also tax efficiency, risk management, and estate considerations. Our affiliation with a leading accounting firm amplifies our ability to deliver insightful and holistic financial guidance. Recognizing the uniqueness of each client's journey, whether approaching retirement or managing wealth post-liquidity events, our services are tailored to maximize benefits. Partnering with business owners, we explore avenues beyond traditional retirement savings, leveraging tax-advantaged strategies to enhance their financial well-being. As an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, I champion fee-only advice, maintaining objectivity and aligning our success with that of our clients.

Damon Paull, AWMA® - Financial Advisor, Best-Selling Author, Military Veteran As a wealth management advisor and Amazon best-selling author in Money and Business, Damon Paull brings a military precision to financial journalism. His recent collaboration with former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss on "Empathetic Leadership" shows he can take complex financial concepts and turn them into stories that resonate with everyone. With over 8 years of industry experience and a background as a Marine Corps veteran and State Department contractor, Damon writes about: • Intergenerational wealth transfer • Corporate benefit plan optimization • Investment portfolio construction • Business succession planning • Veteran financial empowerment • Global market analysis through a geopolitical lens As a Wealth Management Advisor at Cetera Investors, Damon’s expertise goes beyond traditional financial planning. He uses cutting-edge financial technology and analysis tools to bring you fresh perspectives on emerging trends and investment opportunities. His writing style is data-driven with a storyline, making complex financial concepts accessible to sophisticated investors and general audiences. Regular contributor to discussions on wealth preservation, market dynamics and financial technology. Damon welcomes opportunities to provide professional commentary and in-depth analysis for financial publications looking for expert opinions on wealth management and investment strategies. For editorial inquiries or commentary: Damon Paull, AWMA Damon.Paull@ceterainvestors.com 804.270.2765 Glen Allen, VA Available for national and international commentary Cetera Investors is a marketing name of Cetera Investment Services. Securities and Insurance Products offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. 140 EASTSHORE DR. SUITE 105, GLEN ALLEN, VA 23059. 804-346-4670. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, not recommendations of Cetera Investment Services LLC or its representatives. www.EagleVisionWealthManagement.com www.EagleVisionAccounting.com

Leo Marzen is a Managing Partner and Co-founder of Bridgewater Advisors with over 30 years of experience in complex wealth management. A triple-credentialed expert (CPA, CFA, CFP®) and Barron’s-ranked advisor, Leo bridges the gap between sophisticated financial theory and practical, tax-efficient execution. Inspired by an entrepreneurial upbringing in his family’s hardware store, Leo’s pragmatic approach focuses on utility and foresight. He is a sought-after expert for commentary on Tax-Efficient Innovation (Direct Indexing, Tax Loss Harvesting), Estate & Advanced Gift Planning (GRATs, Family Gifting), and Real Estate Optimization (1031 Exchanges, DSTs). Leo is dedicated to providing fiduciary-aligned perspectives on generational wealth transfer and integrated family tax planning, stripping away industry jargon to provide clear, actionable insights for high-net-worth families, individuals, and media outlets alike.

Christine M. Parker, MSPFP, CFP®, APMA®, CRPC™, CSRIC® is the founder of Parker Financial, LLC, an independent, fee-only financial advisory firm helping professional women who lead navigate financial complexity and steward family wealth across generations. Her expertise sits at the intersection of wealth management, retirement planning, family financial responsibilities, and generational wealth preservation. She focuses particularly on women in their peak career and earning years who may also be managing increasingly complex financial matters for older parents or loved ones. Christine brings attention to an often-overlooked financial transition: when helping a family member with everyday financial matters evolves into formal fiduciary responsibility. These roles can progress from managing bills and financial information to serving under a power of attorney and, eventually, as a guardian, executor or personal representative, trustee, or successor trustee. Her work also examines the impact of caregiving on professional women, including career decisions, lifetime earnings, retirement security, workplace flexibility, and financial well-being. Christine writes and speaks about generational wealth and how families can more effectively preserve and transfer assets, financial knowledge, and decision-making responsibility. Her areas of interest include inheritance, inherited real estate and heirs’ property, estate administration, trusts, beneficiary and titling decisions, trusted contacts, family governance, philanthropy, and preparing heirs to become informed financial stewards. Her work and expertise have been featured in The New York Times, and she contributes research-informed perspectives to media, professional publications, and industry discussions. Media topics include: generational wealth; professional women and wealth; retirement and longevity; financial caregiving; career and caregiving; financial powers of attorney; trustees and executors; trusted contacts; inheritance and inherited real estate; heirs’ property; widowhood; estate administration; Social Security; retirement income; family governance; philanthropy; and preparing the next generation for financial stewardship.