Cherese T. Handy, Owner of The Heritage Law Firm and Contract Attorney for the Lowcountry Legal Volunteers Wills and Heirs’ Property Project, brings both expertise and heart to her work preserving family land and strengthening generational wealth. A Beaufort County native with degrees from Park University and Savannah Law School, she has conducted thousands of title searches and built a practice focused on heirs’ property, estate planning, probate, and real estate closings.

Cherese’s influence extends beyond her legal practice. Her research appears in the historical book Gullah Days, and she has shared her insights through panels with the Penn Center, the University of Georgia’s Willson Center, and NASA’s DEI Division. Her scholarship is also recognized in publications such as the Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy and the Maryland Law Review. Warm, grounded, and deeply committed to her community, Cherese continues to advocate for protecting the land and legacy of families across the region.