Estate Planning Advisor

Empirical Financial Services, LLC; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Vision, Dental insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) Plan with match

Job summary

Empirical Financial Services, LLC's Empirical Wealth Management division seeks an Estate Planning Advisor to lead sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners within an integrated advisory model. This role blends technical estate, gift, and income tax knowledge with client-facing guidance.

You will collaborate with financial advisors, tax professionals, and external attorneys to design, implement, and maintain effective estate

Qualifications

• JD required; LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning, or an advanced designation is a plus.
• 5–10 years of experience in estate planning, trust administration, or related areas serving high-net-worth individuals and families.
• Demonstrated ability to explain complex estate and tax concepts clearly and practically to non-technical audiences.
• Experience collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams on integrated client planning.
• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort leading meetings and presenting to small groups.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an internal subject-matter expert on estate planning for Empirical advisors and clients.
• Collaborate with lead advisors to develop and present comprehensive estate planning recommendations.
• Review wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and related documents to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Prepare client-facing summaries and visual overviews of estate structures.
• Participate in client meetings to explain concepts and coordinate action items.
• Recommend planning structures such as revocable trusts, bypass trusts, ILITs, and charitable trusts.
• Integrate estate planning with income tax, business succession, and investment strategy with other teams.
• Support business development and client engagement initiatives through workshops and content.

Skills

Estate planning

Client communication

Collaboration

Tax concepts

Wealth management

Education

JD

LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning

Tools

CRM systems

Document management

Job description

Estate Planning Advisor

We are seeking an Estate Planning Advisor to lead and support sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners within Empirical Wealth Management’s integrated advisory model. This role is ideal for a planning-driven professional who enjoys combining technical estate, gift, and income tax knowledge with practical, client-facing advice in a collaborative wealth management environment.

The Estate Planning Advisor will work closely with financial advisors, tax professionals, and external attorneys to design, implement, and maintain estate planning strategies that align with clients’ goals, family dynamics, and financial circumstances.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as an internal subject-matter expert and trusted resource on estate, gift, and wealth transfer planning for Empirical advisors and their clients
• Collaborate with lead advisors to develop and present comprehensive estate planning recommendations addressing generational wealth transfer, tax minimization, asset protection, and charitable planning objectives
• Review existing estate plans (wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, advance healthcare directives, beneficiary designations) and identify gaps, risks, and planning opportunities
• Prepare clear, client-facing summaries and visual overviews of estate structures, including flow charts or diagrams, to help clients and family members understand how their plans work
• Participate in client meetings (in person and virtual) with advisors to explain estate planning concepts, coordinate action items, and support ongoing implementation
• Recommend planning strategies and structures such as revocable trusts, marital and bypass trusts, dynasty trusts, ILITs, SLATs, GRATs, charitable trusts, family entities, and beneficiary designations appropriate to client fact patterns
• Work closely with Empirical’s tax, financial planning, and investment teams to integrate estate planning with income tax planning, business succession, retirement distribution, risk management, and investment strategy
• Support business development and client engagement initiatives, including educational workshops, webinars, and content for clients, prospects, and professional partners

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience in estate planning, trust administration, or related areas (e.g., private client services, tax, or wealth management) serving high-net-worth individuals and families
• JD required; LL.M. in Taxation or Estate Planning, or an advanced estate planning designation is a plus
• Demonstrated ability to explain complex estate and tax concepts clearly and practically to non-technical audiences.
• Experience collaborating with or within multi-disciplinary teams (attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors) on integrated client planning
• High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including comfort leading meetings and presenting to small groups
• Proficiency with or ability to quickly learn planning and research tools; familiarity with wealth management CRM and document management systems is a plus

Compensation

• Salary range: $200,000 – $250,000
• Benefits: Medical, Vision, Dental, and Disability Insurance for employees are 100% paid for by the company
• 401(k) Plan + match