Estate planning and probate services focused on living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and long-term asset protection. We work with individuals and families to prepare, update, fund, and administer estate planning documents, and to guide executors and trustees through probate and trust administration with clarity and care.
Sonia M. Rustici has worked in the field of estates and trusts since the mid-1990s. Her experience spans nearly three decades and includes estate planning, trust administration, and probate matters. Throughout her career, she has advised individuals, families, executors, trustees, and fiduciaries on the preparation, funding, and administration of estate planning documents.
Sonia’s background includes extensive work with living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advanced medical directives, and business planning documents, as well as hands-on involvement in probate and trust administration across Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Sonia’s experience includes working closely with financial institutions, fiduciaries, and tax professionals to ensure assets are properly managed, documented, and distributed. Her background as both a trust officer and attorney allows her to provide practical, real-world guidance throughout the estate planning and administration process.
Today, Sonia combines legal training with extensive hands-on experience to help clients plan responsibly, administer trusts effectively, and navigate probate matters with clarity and confidence.
Estate planning services including trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives, focused on protecting assets and ensuring your wishes are clear.
Hands-on help with funding living trusts, including deed preparation, bank coordination, and proper asset titling to avoid probate.
Guidance through the probate process, including court filings, identifying estate assets, handling creditor notices and debts, and assisting with final estate closure.
Support for trustees and fiduciaries with trust administration, including asset management, distributions, accountings, audits, and tax coordination.
Estate planning and probate require more than documents. They require experience, precision, and a clear understanding of how estates are administered in real life. Sonia M. Rustici brings decades of hands-on experience working with individuals, families, fiduciaries, financial institutions, and courts to help clients plan responsibly and navigate complex estate and trust matters with confidence.
If you are planning your estate, updating existing documents, or need guidance with trust or probate administration, scheduling a consultation is the first step. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss your situation, review your goals, and determine the appropriate estate planning or administration services for your needs.
Clients seek estate planning and probate guidance during important and often difficult moments. The focus is always on providing clear advice, careful planning, and steady support throughout the process.
Estate planning and probate often raise important questions about wills, trusts, asset protection, and administration. Below are answers to some of the most common questions clients ask when planning for the future or managing an estate.
A Will is a legal document that is filed with the probate court after death and becomes part of the public record. It names beneficiaries and an executor, and the executor is supervised by the court throughout the probate process.
A Trust can do everything a Will can do, but assets held in a trust are not subject to probate or probate taxes. Trust administration is handled privately by a trustee and is not supervised by the court.
Yes. A Will only takes effect at death. Important documents such as a financial power of attorney and a medical power of attorney (advanced medical directive) are essential for planning during your lifetime, particularly in the event of incapacity.
Trusts allow assets to avoid probate and probate taxes and provide greater privacy. They are also valuable for disability planning and for managing assets for beneficiaries, including minor children or individuals with special needs.
It is critical. Assets that are not titled in the name of the trust, and that do not have a beneficiary designation or joint owner, may still require probate. Proper funding ensures the trust works as intended.
Yes. When a person passes away, the original Will must be filed with the probate court in the county where the individual resided. The court appoints the executor and oversees the administration of the estate.
It depends on the type of trust. Revocable trusts generally do not protect assets from creditors. Irrevocable trusts may offer protection, but there are important rules, including a five-year look-back period for certain creditors such as nursing homes.
Real property located outside Virginia generally requires probate in the state where the property is located. This is known as ancillary or foreign estate administration and may involve additional court filings and coordination.
Virginia does not have an inheritance or estate tax, but federal estate tax rules may apply depending on the value of the estate. Beneficiaries may also be subject to income tax on certain inherited assets, such as retirement accounts.
Providing estate planning, trust administration, and probate guidance to individuals and families. Services include preparation of living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, trust funding assistance, and support through probate and trust administration.
“Our office is conveniently located in business office complex “Courthouse Square at Stafford”, which is directly across the street from the Stafford County Courthouse on the corner of Richmond Highway and Courthouse Road”
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