How to Get Estate Planning Clients as a Financial Advisor

Adding estate planning to your slate of services can be an effective way to scale your business and attract new clients. In fact, 68% of advised clients say they’d consider switching to another advisor who offers these services, according to a 2026 Trust & Will survey.¹ Positioning yourself as an estate planning expert through strategic marketing, building referral relationships with estate planning attorneys and auditing your existing client profiles are examples of practical ways to drum up new business.

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How to Get Estate Planning Clients: 5 Strategies for Advisors

Client acquisition is a challenge for many advisors. You may know who you want to attract, but might run into hurdles when it comes to making connections. Finding new clients for estate planning services may take some trial and error. Here are some common methods you might consider.

1. Gain Estate Planning Expertise

Expertise can make a difference in who a client chooses to work with. Estate planning is an often complex topic, and prospects may be drawn to an advisor who is established as a thought leader in this area.

Earning one or more professional credentials in estate planning can strengthen your brand image in the eyes of prospects. You may consider earning an accredited estate planner (AEP) or certified estate planner (CEP) designation, for example. The former requires you to hold another professional designation, such as a CFP® mark, while the latter does not.

You might choose the CEP if you want to complement your existing services with estate planning. The AEP is designed for advisors who dedicate more than one-third of their time to developing estate plans. Either one can send the signal to prospects that you’re well-versed in the nuances of estate planning and have the expertise to help them plan their financial legacies.

2. Partner With Estate Planning Attorneys

Strategic partnerships with estate planning attorneys could lead to more referrals if you’re able to fill gaps that they are unable to close.

When you network and partner with estate planning professionals, you have opportunities to build centers of influence. These are mutually beneficial relationships in which referrals flow both ways. Both you and the attorney or attorneys you partner with can gain new business if you serve a similar clientele, and your clients can benefit from a more well-rounded approach to estate planning. In the Trust & Will survey, 18.9% of Americans said that when it comes to estate planning, they would like to have an attorney and an advisor involved.

Establishing relationships with estate planning professionals is a matter of networking and demonstrating the value you bring to the table as an expert advisor. You may reach out to estate planning attorneys locally to build a solid base of connections in your area, and expand your networking efforts to include online channels like LinkedIn.

Focus your efforts on estate planning professionals who serve clients who are similar to yours, or represent a niche you’re hoping to break into. For example, you might zero in on attorneys who primarily cater to high-net-worth clients.

3. Host Dedicated Estate Planning Education Events

Financial advisors review a strategy for estate planning clients.

Seminar marketing can bring prospective estate planning clients to you if you’re choosing the right topic and promoting the event for maximum reach. A seminar offers a chance to talk to prospects either face-to-face or virtually, and answer some of their questions about the estate planning process.

Your choice of topic depends on your ideal clients and their needs. For example, if you’re trying to add more physicians to your client list, you may host a seminar on succession planning and share tips on how doctors can successfully transition their practices when they’re ready to retire.

Once you’ve chosen a topic, you can work out the remaining details:

Format: Will your seminar be held in person or virtually?
Time: What time and date work best for hosting your seminar? And will you offer a recording for people who may want to attend, but can’t accommodate your chosen date?
Guests: How many spots will you offer to people who are interested in signing up?

You may be able to manage those details in your customer relationship management (CRM) platform. That’s a capability that Salesforce CRM offers.

Once your event is planned, you can market it by sharing details on social media with a link to the seminar sign-up page, or sending email blasts to estate planning prospects who have signed up for your newsletter. You may also consider cross-promoting the event with your estate planning centers of influence, or financial influencers in your network.

When crafting your marketing messages, focus on piquing interest while creating a sense of urgency. Tailor the wording so that it resonates with your prospects’ pain points regarding estate planning, and include a strong call to action so they’re moved to secure their spot right away.

4. Increase Rankings for Local Estate Planning Searches

Search engine optimization or SEO practices can help your firm’s website be more visible when a prospect searches online for estate planning help. Local SEO refers to search results that are specific to one area. For example, someone searching for an advisor in Dallas may use terms like “estate planner Dallas,” “Dallas estate planning advisor” or “estate planner DFW area.”

Where you land in local search rankings can make a difference in how many new estate planning clients you attract. Improving visibility in local searches is a matter of tried-and-true SEO tactics, such as keyword optimization, but it also includes other strategies. For example, if you lack a Google Business profile, consider making that a priority.

This free profile acts as an online listing for your business and includes all the relevant details a local buyer might be interested in knowing before reaching out to you. A completed profile includes information about the type of estate planning services you offer, where you’re located and how to contact you, as well as photos and client testimonials or reviews. You can apply the same approach to your website, which can strengthen your local search profile.

5. Tap Your Current Clients

A financial advisor connecting with an estate planning client on a video call.

While you may be focused on looking outside your firm to attract new estate planning clients, don’t overlook the clients who are already in front of you. Your current clients may have estate planning needs that are unmet, or they may know someone who could benefit from your expertise.

Talk to your clients about new service offerings you’re developing around estate planning to get their feedback on what might prove most useful. Give them room to share their concerns about estate planning and answer any questions they may have about what the process involves. If your clients already receive estate planning services from you, let them know that you’re happy to discuss the topic with anyone they might know who could benefit from those services.

You can also use estate planning conversations to reach out to the next generation. If you primarily serve retirees or near-retirees, for example, ask your clients if they’ve shared their estate plan with their heirs. Whether the answer is yes or no, you can offer to meet with everyone as a family to discuss the plan, answer questions and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Should Advisors Buy Estate Planning Leads?

Buying leads can put advisors in direct contact with estate planning prospects, but it’s important to verify the quality of the leads before making an investment. When evaluating a lead generation platform, consider how it screens prospects, verifies contact information and identifies interest in working with an advisor.

Can Financial Advisors Draft Estate Planning Documents?

Generally, financial advisors can help clients develop estate planning strategies, but being a financial advisor does not authorize them to draft legal documents such as wills or trusts. Unless they are also licensed attorneys or otherwise authorized under applicable state rules, advisors should refer clients to an estate planning attorney for document preparation.

What Questions Should Advisors Ask Estate Planning Clients?

Advisors should ask estate planning clients questions about their current and future goals and needs, and what their desires are for managing their estate during their lifetime and beyond. It’s also important to discuss the needs of any minor children or other individuals the client provides financial support to, and address how taxation may affect a client’s financial legacy.

Do Advisors Need Estate Planning Certifications?

An estate planning certification or credential is not required, but it can be a major selling point for prospects who are looking for an advisor to work with. A professional designation in estate planning signals that you have specialized knowledge, which a prospect may find valuable if they want an advisor they can trust to help them shape their plan.

Find & Close Ideal Clients

Get regular introductions to retirees, pre-retirees, and high network prospects to grow your business.

Bottom Line

There’s no insider secret regarding how to get estate planning clients. It all goes back to developing a client acquisition strategy that’s effective for your business. The tips shared here are designed to give you a few ideas to consider as you approach marketing to estate planning clients.

Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business

Marketing can feel overwhelming at times, especially as new trends and technologies are always emerging. If you’re looking for a way to streamline your promotion efforts, you may consider partnering with an advisor marketing platform. SmartAsset AMP (Advisor Marketing Platform) is a holistic marketing service that financial advisors can use for client lead generation and automated marketing. Sign up for a free demo to explore how SmartAsset AMP can help you expand your practice’s marketing operation. Get started today.
Adding testimonials to your website is another way to market your estate planning services and show prospects a little of what you’re about. If you plan to add testimonials to your site, consider the SEC’s marketing rule. The rule requires that you add the appropriate disclosures when using testimonials to advertise your business and services.

Article Sources

All articles are reviewed and updated by SmartAsset’s fact-checkers for accuracy. Visit our Editorial Policy for more details on our overall journalistic standards.

LoCastro, Mark. Trust & Will 2026 Financial Advisor Report. Trust & Will, 6 July 2026, https://trustandwill.com/learn/financial-advisor-report-2026.